Today&#039;s Lenten Reflection

What is your Lenten intention this year? Will 2021 be the year you follow through to growing ever closer to the mystery that is God in Christ? Or will you settle for the same old same old? Beyond the symbolic smear of ashes, this year, self-applied, where shall you begin in your quest to grow and know and humbly serve the Lord? Better, do you know what God has in store for you? And just how do you yourself "experience" God? How about discovering something radically new--and ancient?

Consider this wisdom, almost seven hundred years true:

For silence is not God, nor speaking; fasting is not God, nor eating; solitude is not God, nor company; nor any other pair of opposites. God is hidden between them and cannot be found by anything your soul does, but only by the love of your heart. God cannot be known by reason, nor by thought, caught, or sought by understanding. But God can be love and chosen by the true, loving will of your heart.~
from THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING

The 14th century spiritual classic, The Cloud of Unknowing, author anonymous, provided seekers after an authentic experience of God something of a roadmap to the eternal and divine doorless palace where God "dwells." The author was intent on challenging the growing notion of medieval mind that God could be understood by scholastic calculations and intellectual formulations alone. No, The Cloud asserted, access to an experience of God was available universally to all who humbled themselves, and cultivated a spiritual awareness and alertness that was fed by grace from the Holy Spirit, We need but ask, and be sincere in our intentions to follow Christ. But wait: In this year where so much of our life experience feels upside-down, might we not check in with God and favor Him with the initiative? Perhaps maybe we've been approaching this work from the wrong end, Thomas Merton wrote:

Our discovery of God is, in a way, God's discovery of us. We cannot go to heaven to find Him because we have no way of knowing where heaven is or what it is. He comes down from heaven and finds us. He looks at us from the depths of His own actuality, which is everywhere, and His seeing gives us a new being and a new mind in which we also discover Him. We only know Him in so far as we are known by Him, and our contemplation of Him is a participation in His contemplation of Himself. We become contemplatives when God discovers Himself in us.
Ah, there's that word again: contemplation. Christian writers as far back as the Apostle Paul, through the Cloud, and up to Merton have tried to communicate that there is another knowing, beyond thought, beyond feeling, a new sense (beyond our classic five) that the Cloud's author called our "sharp arrow of longing" aimed at God who is loving mystery. Exactly 1,000 years ago, St Symeon the New Theologian expressed it this way: Once the intellect has accomplished its task of discovering the place where the heart resides, it will immediately see things of which it was previously ignorant and could never have hoped to find. It will see the open spaces within the heart and will see itself as entirely radiant with light and full of discernment and perception.
Your first Lenten assignment: please read the passages assigned for today from Joel, Paul and Matthew's gospel. Wait for the Spirit's urging to realize God's message for you in these readings--in the open spaces of your heart. The prophet, the apostle and the evangelist all wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit. Don't think about what they mean but that God's Holy Spirit in Christ awaits but our feeble and flawed efforts in faith to stretch our hearts and discover anew the Lord within with a whole new sense and purifying purpose: new light, new life, new now. This Lent, let Christ rise in your heart as never before (but as He's always done!).

Tim Cooper is the proud husband of Rosemary,
director of America's Best Small Library, and proud dad to
Rory and Aidan, graduates of St Stephen Elementary (2004, 2005).

February 18

Today's Readings
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Jesus made this statement to His disciples prior to his passion, when he literally took up a cross - a heavy, splintery cross - because of his obedience to the Father and intense love for all people. We are those people, as are the homeless, the disabled, the unborn, the underserved, the rich, the happy, the lonely. Everyone. People from all times in history, of every age, religion, gender, and ethnicity. He carried that cross; wore that painful, prickly “crown;” was spit at, mocked, and stripped of his clothing. That is Love.

We are asked to take up our crosses daily and follow Jesus. Our crosses can take so many different forms: temptation to sin, physical pain, greed, selfishness, sadness, worry, loneliness, etc. We can have few or many, and they can change with time.

Right now, my family is burdened with the loss of a loved one. A son, brother, grandchild, uncle, cousin, friend. The support of an unparalleled community coupled with our faith helps us to carry this cross of sorrow. In fact, amid the pain, there is joy! After Jesus’ suffering, he rose from the dead; He gave us hope that after our earthly life, there is eternal life – forever with Him! We take great comfort in knowing that we will see our Danny again.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please give us the strength to carry our daily crosses.
Help us to remember that Jesus carried the weight of human sin on his shoulders and opened the gates of Heaven so that we can be with Him forever. Please guide us to think and act as Christians so that we may be worthy of the promise of eternal life.

Anne Prial and her family have lived in Warwick and belonged to St. Stephen's Parish for 29 years. They are most grateful for the gifts of faith and community.

February 19

Today's Readings

Sacrifices are difficult to maintain; specifically those pertaining to the spiritual body. Building one’s soul can involve a certain amount of friction. As we journey through this beautiful, awe filled life, we are faced with challenges. Challenges inevitably break us and from the pieces a different perspective is envisioned. Each person is given an opportunity to have hope, to love, and to trust in the process.

Complete trust in God is not a simple task; I struggle with this daily. The mind wanders and dives into an abysses of thoughts. Thinking occurs to protect us; the mind calculates and recalculates to offer protection. But—the past is obstinate and the future is variable. Trusting God and feeling His immense joy in the friction is the antidote. Accepting this into the psyche takes a lifetime but is worth it.

Sacrifice is trust. This year has been challenging for many. As you look up at the sun, trust the warmth shining back at you. Move fluidly throughout this life and ground your thoughts in trust. Sacrifice is trusting that there are not answers to everything. God created us in the Imago Dei; he created us in the image and likeness of Himself. Funny how we think God is so far away; one needs to only recognize Him.

What I offer from this reflection is the recognition that sacrifice isn’t only physical manifestations. Sacrifice worry, fear, and doubt in order to embrace trust.

Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my whole will, all that I have and all that I possess. You gave it all to me, Lord; I give it all back to you. Do with it as you will, according to your good pleasure. Give me your love and your grace; for with this I have all that I need.
-St. Ignatius Prayer

Tom Holtman is a lifelong parishioner and attended St. Stephen-St. Edward School; he attended the University of Scranton as well. Tom is part of the parish music ministry. He currently resides in Warwick and enjoys contemplation, meditation, and prayer to pass the time when he is not working or with his 8 month old nephew, Cayden.

February 20

Today's Readings
The Feast Day of Saints Jacinta (1910-1920) and Francisco Marto (1908-1919)

When Our Lady appeared to the Portuguese shepherds in 1917, Europe was in the midst of an extremely bloody war and Portugal itself was in political turmoil with a government that disbanded religious organizations. Though we are not in a bloody war, we are in the midst of a spiritual war with a culture attacking the very foundations of our faith.

So what do we do? We feel so helpless. “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth” (Psalm 86:11). What is truth? I always think of Pontius Pilate when he asked Jesus that question. Why didn’t Jesus answer? He could have said so many things! But then, Pilate was looking truth in the face and didn’t recognize him. Do I do that? With so many lies muddled amidst truths, how do I know what is true? Everyone believes they possess the truth. What I believe must be right and everyone else wrong. What a dangerous place to be! Unless Jesus is at the very center of your being, you do not know truth.

What do we do with those that desire to crush us? “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live” (Ezekiel 33:11). It is so easy to hate your enemies. Don’t fall into that abyss. Remember how much Jesus desires ALL souls to come home to Heaven! We need to do the same. God desires that we participate in the salvation of all souls. When you become aware of someone that does not think the way you do, pray for them. Have you prayed for President Biden and President Trump? If you are able to pray for one and not the other, then you are not living truth.

Our Lady instructed the children at Fatima to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war”. We need to listen to our Mother.

Most Holy Father, we ask for the conversion of those that have turned away from you, for the conversion of our nation, leaders, and all people, through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Annette Shaughnessy is a long time parishioner of St. Stephen’s and lives in Florida with her husband, John. They have two children, one working in counseling and the other at the University of Scranton.

February 21

Today's Readings

I personally don’t know anyone who looks forward with enthusiasm to the Lenten season. If you know of someone who can’t wait for Ash Wednesday so that they can stop eating meat on Fridays and give up some of their favorite treats and activities I’d like to hear about them (P.S. – Dead saints don’t count). This is the time of year when we hear (or ask), “What are you giving up for Lent?” Why do we give up things? I needed a reminder of what “giving up stuff” is all about.

The idea behind giving up something during Lent is fasting. It’s a remembrance of Jesus’ 40-day fast in the desert and calls for us to follow his example. And it’s not fasting alone, but prayer and fasting together. They’re a set. Prayer without fasting is powerful, but fasting without prayer, not so much. So what’s the point of fasting? There must be a point if Jesus himself fasted.

Fasting helps us order our thoughts toward the spiritual by putting aside for a time certain worldly things, most commonly food. When we fast we create a physical need that results in a longing for what we denied ourselves. Every longing wants to be satisfied, and creating a longing that we simply leave unsatisfied isn’t very profitable. The reason we create the need in the first place is not to make ourselves uncomfortable, but instead to satisfy it with something higher, something spiritual: prayer and repentance.

Yes, a level of physical discomfort comes with fasting. Having one less meal in a day or having only a small bowl of soup instead of a three-course meal can be uncomfortable. Jesus was clearly uncomfortable during his fast. And like Jesus, we can be tempted to give in to our needs and desires. We can be quite vulnerable to Satan’s temptations when we’re tired and weak, as Jesus most certainly was after being alone and hungry in the desert. But Jesus held fast, prayed, and was supported by the angels who came to minister to him. Was Jesus able to resist and triumph over Satan and his temptations because he was God? No. Jesus, who was fully human like we are turned to His Father, prayer, and scripture to give him the strength to send Satan packing. Just as we can.

Dear Father, may we be ever mindful of the power of prayer and fasting as we journey through another Lenten season, and may we avail ourselves of these powerful tools throughout the year. Help us to remember to call on your beloved Son for strength and comfort when we are vulnerable and undergoing temptation, and give us the confidence to know that we, though weak mortals, are able to overcome Satan’s power with Jesus’ help.

Jim DiMauro is a longtime parishioner of St. Stephens. He is married to Ruthann, who serves as a parish secretary.

February 22

Today's Readings

Today is the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, the Apostle. I honestly didn’t realize this when I signed up for the reflection today. I am certainly no expert on St. Peter or the feast itself. I remember reading somewhere that a chair is a symbol of authority. That’s why the person who is the head of a meeting is called a chairperson. Thus why the church called this feast day, “The Chair of St. Peter.”

But what drew me in to write the reflection today were the readings. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on things going on in the world. Specifically, taking in the way people have been treating each other. It’s not just one “type” of person or another, it’s many different people all treating one another as if they know best and those who think or believe differently are completely wrong or ignorant. I’m sure you all have seen it too: the insults, name calling, angered exhortations. It truly makes me sad.

But what I keep coming back to is that Jesus didn’t behave that way. He befriended those who were considered sinners in His society. He offered them companionship and guidance. Jesus’ followers followed Him because of what he said and did. He led by example; he didn’t ridicule, insult, or name call. He just simply spread God’s message of love and mercy. Aren’t we called to do the same? I don’t believe by insulting someone, you’re going to lead them to God or Jesus as His son. We’re called to lead by example; by doing good works, by showing love and mercy, and by helping the weakest among us. This is what Jesus did.

That is why he made Peter His rock. Not because Peter was perfect but because Peter could lead by example. In the first reading today, Peter said, “Beloved… Tend the flock of God in your mist, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it. ...Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock.” Be examples to the flock, not by constraint but willingly. Those words just beckon to me. We cannot make someone believe who doesn’t wish to believe but we can be the example of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

What examples are we being today? Right now? What examples have we been in the past? Let us be the example the Psalmist sings of today. Let all the world see that we believe the Lord is our shepherd, we fear no evil, He refreshes our soul, and gives us courage. Be the example you want to see in the world. Plant the seeds of faith. Who knows who you may lead to God and Jesus as His son.

Lord, thank you for the many lessons and guidance You give to Your people.
Help us to follow You and those leaders You put in Your place on earth.
Thank you for the leadership of St. Peter and Pope Francis.
Help me to say with surety, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” and mean it. Help me to be the example you wish to see in the world.
Amen

Kim Dixon and her husband Dan have been parishioners of St. Stephen’s for almost 20 years. She is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and loves to teach Religion. She is also a member of the adult choir (when they can sing together again).

February 23

**Please note: today's reflection is not presented in our usual format.
If you would rather read the text, it is provided after the video.

Today's Readings

Me: Our Father, who art in heaven.

God: Yes.

Me: Did I hear a voice?

God: You did.

Me: Just as soon as I began to pray somebody interrupts me. I’d better start again. Our Father, who art in heaven.

God: Yes.

Me: You’ve interrupted me again.

God: But you called me. You said: ‘Our Father, who are in heaven.’ So here I am.

Me: Oh my God!

God: You sound surprised.

Me: Frankly, I’m very surprised. I didn’t really expect you to answer.

God: Oh, so that’s all the faith you have in me. Anyhow, now that we’ve made contact, what’s on your mind?

Me: To be quite honest, I haven’t given it much thought. I say the ‘Our Father’ every now and then. It makes me feel good.

God: Oh, so that’s what prayer is for- to make you feel good. I see, go on.

Me: Hallowed be thy name.

God: Hold it! What do you mean by ‘hallowed’?

Me: It means…Let me see…Hallowed?…Hallowed?…Good heanves, I don’t know what it means.

God: Do you normally use words you don’t understand when you’re talking to people?

Me: No.

God: Well then, why do you do so when you’re talking to me? After all, that’s what prayer is- a conversation between me and you.

Me: Good point, Lord. By the way, what does the word mean?

God: It means ‘may it be honoured’ or ‘may it be seen as holy’.

Me: So what I’m really praying for is that your name might be honoured by everybody.

God: That’s the general idea.

Me: May I go on now?

God: By all means.

Me: Thy Kingdom come.

God: What kind of kingdom have you in mind?

Me: I’m not sure. All I know is that the world is in a mess.

God: What kind of world would you like to see?

Me: I’d like to see everyone living in peace.

God: Do you live in peace with everyone?

Me: Nearly everyone. However, there are a few people I’d like to strangle. There’s one neighbour whom I’d like to see emigrate to the North Pole.

God: But what about the trouble you cause? You’re no angel, you know.

Me: This is starting to hurt, Lord. Aren’t we taking a bit too seriously?

God: But you did pray for my kingdom come. So why not begin with yourself? You do want to belong to my kingdom, don’t you?

Me: I do, but I’m not sure what it involves.

God: Ordinary people help to spread my kingdom by being kind, truthful, honest, just, and so on. In a nutshell, by doing my will.

Me: Your will- that’s the next part of the prayer. May I go on then?

God: Certainly.

Me: Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

God: ‘On earth’ presumably means your life too?

Me: Of course.

God: Well then, what are you going to do about it?

Me: How do you mean what am I going to about it? Haven’t I just prayed about?

God: So you have. But I repeat: What are you going to do about it?

Me: Actually I wasn’t planning on doing anything.

God: Oh, so that’s how it is. You pray for my will to be done. Then you sit back, fold your arms, and do sweet nothing about it. Let’s be practical for a moment. When last did you put yourself out to help another person? And what about that tongue of yours?

Me: Stop, Lord! I’m no worse than anyone else. Still, I would like to be a better person.

God: Good! Things are beginning to look up. Praying could be dangerous you know.

Me: What do you mean?

God: If you took it seriously you could end up a changed person. Continue please.

Me: [Looking at his watch] This is taking a lot longer than I expected. Normally I’m finished my prayers in two minutes flat. What’s worrying me is this: I’m supposed to meet someone at Halligan's in five minutes. Couldn’t we finish this another time?

God: Finished in two minutes flat! Sounds like a rushed job to me. So you can’t wait. A minute ago you were praying for my will to be done. Now it’s your will that must be done.

Me: Oh, well, I suppose I might as well go on.Give us this day our daily bread.

God: What are you praying for now?

Me: For bread- at least that’s what the prayer says, isn’t it?
  God: Yes, but bread for whom?

Me: For myself of course.

God: For yourself? You don’t look undernourished to me. So what more do you want?

Me: Don’t get me wrong, Lord, I’m not complaining. I’m grateful for the many good things I have in my life. But I feel there is something missing. At times I feel very empty.

God: What you’re experiencing is a spiritual hunger.

Me: A spiritual hunger. I’m not sure I know what you mean.

God: A human being has a soul as well as a body. The soul too needs food.

Me: I see.

God: Let us get on then with the rest of the prayer. I’m very interested in the next part of it. [brief pause]. Well, aren’t you going on?

Me: I’m afraid of what you’ll say.

God: Why don’t you try me and see?

Me: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

God: What about the mother-in-law?

Me: I knew you’d bring her up. Why, Lord, she’s the greatest b…b…bad person I’ve ever met. If only she’d mind her own business.

God: But what about your prayer. ‘As we forgive those who trespass against us’?

Me: Ah, Lord, be reasonable. Forgive her? Sure, I can’t even bear the sight of her. Boy, have I got plans for her. When I’m finished with her she’ll be sorry she ever crossed my path.

God: Oh, so it’s back to the old business of ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ It’s a good thing everyone doesn’t think like you, or half of the world would be going around blind and toothless. I take it then that you’re not going to forgive her.

Me:  Honestly Lord, I couldn’t promise you that.

God: And yet you expect me to forgive you. You’re not going to forgive her- is that final?

Me: That’s final.

God: Well then, for goodness sake go off to…Halligan's and don’t be wasting my time.

Me: Don’t cut me off, Lord. Wait a minute. Are you still there, Lord? [no reply] Look’s as if I’ve been cut off. I wouldn’t mind but I was just going to say that maybe I can forgive her after all…I can…I will…are you there, Lord?

God: I am.

Me:  Oh, good! You had me scared for a minute. I thought you’d cut me off.

God: I take it that you don’t like to be cut off.

Me: You bet I don’t.

God: Well that’s exactly what you do when you don’t forgive. You cut the other person off from you, and you cut yourself off from me. So you are willing to forgive her?

Me: I’ve already forgiven her.

God: Good, let’s go on with the prayer.

Me:  Lead us not into temptation.

God: You know, that one always makes me smile.

Me:  Why do you say that, Lord?

God: Tell me something. When did you need me, or anyone else for that matter, to take you by the hand and lead you into temptation? Do you not walk into it of your own accord and with both eyes open? I mean, no one puts an obscene book or magazine into our hand. No one forces you to take that extra drink.

Me: Stop, Lord, I’ve heard enough. I get your point. Yes, there are times when I bring temptation on myself. But then there are times when it comes to me unbidden.

God: True, but temptation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s a chance for you to prove your loyalty and maturity.

Me: So what should I pray for?

God: Pray for the strength to avoid the temptations you can avoid, and to resist the ones you can’t

Me: Sounds like good advice.

God: You may go on now.

Me: Deliver us from evil.

God: What have you in mind?

Me: I had a friend who was killed in a car accident. And another who died of cancer while still young.

God: You’re not blaming me, are you?

Me: No, of course, not.

God: You know, I don’t want those kind of things to happen.

Me:  Yet, when they happen, you hear people say: ‘It’s the will of God.’

God: It’s not my will that tragedies should happen.

Me: But could you not prevent them?

God: Your question is not one that can be answered in a few words. But let me say just this. I made the things of nature to follow the law of nature. I’ve got to respect that law. To people I gave the gift of free will. I’ve got to respect their freedom.

Me:  Then you can’t guarantee me a life free from pain and struggle?

God: No, I couldn’t do that even for my own Son. However, there is something I will do.

Me:  What is that?

God: I’ll help you to cope with whatever evil comes.

Me: Lord, even if I have to walk through the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil as long as you are with me.

God: Oh, I’ll be with you alright. You can count on that.

Me:  I will. Thank you, Lord. I’ve finished. That’s the end of my prayer.

God: We’ve had quite a chat.

Me:  We sure had.

God: Many people say prayers rather than pray. Now if in the course of our chat I’ve pointed out some of your faults, it’s because I care about you. I want you to be a better and a happier person. You can go now. But just remember this: In spite of all I said, I still love you just as you are.

Me:  Just as I am? Faults and all? Do you really mean that, Lord?

God: I do. I trust I’ll be hearing from you again soon?

Me: You certainly will.

God: Well then, let’s say ‘Amen’.

Amen (together)

This Dialogue with God, based on The Lord's Prayer, was written by Fr. Flor McCarthy. Each summer Fr. Flor visited St. Stephens he would present this at a Sunday homily, as it tied in with the readings.

In memory of Fr. Flor, may you rest in eternal peace. Thank you for your gifts!

February 24

Today's Readings

Today’s first scripture reading tells us the story of Nineveh and how God was going to turn His wrath on the city, but in His mercy, He sent Jonah to warn the people. The king and his people believed Jonah and repented of their sins. They fasted, put on sackcloth and turned to God calling loudly to Him. God saw by their actions that they repented for their sins and evil ways. He had mercy on them and did not do what He had vowed to do.

Today’s scripture is relevant to our time. Jonah isn’t running through our cities warning us that God will rain fire down on us, but we must realize that we, as a country, have turned away from God. Our country is in trouble. Our culture is dictating a narrative that takes God out of everything and tells us to do whatever we feel like doing. The culture’s take on freedom, but at what cost?

Lent is a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. A time when we go into the dessert to die to self by giving more of our time to others and sharing what we have to those less fortunate. A time to deny ourselves food, the things we like and putting others’ needs before our own. But maybe the hardest of all is giving up our favorite sins. Lent is the time we repent and lose ourselves in God’s will for us, hopefully growing closer in relationship to Him with prayer and by replacing the things we’re attached to with the things of God.

However, I believe God is calling us to do more this Lent. He’s calling us to counter the culture’s narrative. To live out our Catholic faith fearlessly with love and compassion in a culture that defies and denies Him. To be courageous and openly uphold the Church’s teachings, especially on the dignity of all human life. To pray for the conversion of our country and of ourselves. To lift each other up in prayer and pray especially for those who do not know God.

So yes, today’s scripture is relevant to our time. The story of Nineveh should be a reminder to us of how faith, action, prayer and repentance can glorify God while He heals each of us and our country.

“If my people…humble themselves and pray and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

“Oh My God, help us this Lent to turn from sin and to turn back to you.
Help us to courageously live out our Catholic faith not only privately but in everything we do. Please heal us and have mercy on us.
“A heart contrite and humbled, O God, You will not spurn.”Psalm 51
Amen.

Donna Washio and her family live in beautiful Warwick. She’s a secretary in the office at St. Stephen’s Church and enjoys talking to and meeting parishioners.

February 25

Today's Readings

Lent is the liturgical season for us to focus on our prayer life. Prayer looks different for each person; Some may not venture past the prayers learned in our formative years; others spend hours each day in contemplation. For many, prayer life falls somewhere in between. While there are many ways to pray, there are four basic forms of prayer:

·Prayer of Blessing and Adoration (praising God)
·Prayer of Petition (asking for what we need, including forgiveness)
·Prayer of Intercession (asking for what others need)
·Prayer of Thanksgiving (for what God has given and done)

In today’s reading from the Book of Esther, we see Queen Esther praying. She begins, “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.”Esther begins speaking with God by praising him. She goes on, “Help me, who am alone and have no help but you…” She asks God for what she needs, and continues, “save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness,” asking God for what others need, too.

My favorite form of prayer is that of Thanksgiving and comes most naturally to me. This past weekend our family enjoyed snowshoeing on a quiet trail in New Jersey. We were alone on the trail. The snow was mostly untouched after the recent snowfall. The sunlight appeared speckled through the trees and along the trail, casting a beautiful glow on the snow. Along the walk, a barn and home in the distance reminded me of a familiar Normal Rockwell print. At that moment I could not help but contain my gratitude to God for the beauty of my surroundings, the ability and health of my body to be able to snowshoe and for the presence of my family! I felt a warmth in my soul through that experience. I am certain I was with God.

Today’s Gospel from Matthew reminds us that God is always with us. He is right by our side, desiring to be in relationship. Prayer is our way to spend time with him and nurture our relationship with him.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

The passage from Matthew’s Gospel is God’s invitation to each of us enter into prayer with him each and every moment of the day. He reminds us that he is already in our midst. He calls out to me, to you, “I am here”. I believe that this is the nudge God gives us throughout the extraordinary and mundane moments of each day. Let us recognize them, always.

Loving father guide me always to fix my eyes on you.
I know that you love me in spite of my sinfulness
You are always near
Let me always desire to ask, seek and knock.
Amen.

Mary Juliano and her family have been blessed to be part of the St. Stephens parish community since 1999.

February 26

Friday's Readings

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus told his disciples that we need to be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees to enter into the kingdom of heaven. How intimidating is that? How can we compete? Why would Jesus set the bar so high for us? Doesn’t He want us to go to heaven? He then goes on to tell us that anyone who is angry at his brother is subject to judgement and possibly jeopardizing going into heaven. Jesus clearly outlines the relationships he wants us to have. It is not only the deeds that you do, but your thoughts, your actions and your words. He equates murder with anger and ill feelings and thoughts we have for others. It reminds me of the part of prayer, “ I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done,and in what I have failed to do”.

Jesus warns that anger is damaging to one's heart and goes on to give us advice on what to do if someone is angry at you. We must offer ways to alleviate and resolve the situation, regardless of whether we are guilty of it or not. Jesus is asking us to actively seek forgiveness from those who are angry at us. He wants us to care about their salvation and to resolve any conflicts that might separate them from the kingdom of God. Jesus reminds us to solve our disagreements quickly with the person we are having the conflicts with. Remember God has given us everything we need for forgiveness and the act of forgiving. Surrender to the Holy Spirit and pray for his assistance.

Forgiveness prayer
Dear Lord, Watch over my thoughts, my words and my actions.
Please remind me to forgive others as I would like to be forgiven.
Please provide me with the peace of the Holy Spirit to find forgiveness for those who have hurt me, guidance to prevent me from hurting others and solutions to overcome our transgressions. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Maureen Degnan has been a parishioner of St. Stephen's Church since 1996. She taught CCD classes at St. Stephen's for 11 years.

February 27

Today's Readings

I remember memorizing the Ten Commandments when I was a child. I remember getting in trouble in school when I did not follow the rules. I frown when I think about some of the traffic tickets I've received. As an adult, I generally consider myself to be a rule follower.

Today, the first two pieces from Scripture implore us to do just that. In the first, Moses explains that we are God's sacred people, and for our part, we must follow His commandments. Psalms then exclaims, "Blessed are they who follow the Lord!"

And for me, I've come to think blessed are those that follow the rules means blessed are those who don't make trouble.

Then comes the Gospel reading. Then comes Jesus, the new Lamb. And His commandment to love your enemy does not make it easy to follow the rules. For me, my thinking about keeping things smooth by following the rules is tossed out because loving your enemy can invite trouble. Standing up for a perceived enemy may create a new one, but perhaps that is just a new opportunity to love.

I fall short in honoring this commandment. I have very often been approached by folks less fortunate than me who ask for some change or a dollar. It's not just that I am not loving my less fortunate neighbor, but if I am honest, I fall short because I see them as an enemy--someone who is not of my "group." On a more narrow level, I have not stood up for others in social situations because they occupy a certain place outside of my social circle; again, that person is not "one of us." And so my lack of compassion as well as my lack of strength keeps me from loving my "enemy." Even politically we draw sides. But Jesus was neither liberal or conservative; He was a radical. And loving your enemy is just as radical idea now as it was back then.

For my own part, I will use this Lenten season as a time to become more aware of opportunities where I can follow Jesus and be more Christ-like by loving my enemy. I pray that it will not just be an exercise, but that it will become a more predominant practice in my life.

Dear Lord God,

Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to us as our perfect example of someone who loved their enemies. Please grant us the Grace, wisdom, and courage to follow His example, that we may live up to our status as Your sacred people.

Amen.

Joseph De Bona has been a teacher and administrator in Catholic Schools within the Archdiocese of New York for 16 years. He is currently the principal at St. John School (Warwick and Goshen campuses). He and his wife recently moved to Orange County.

February 28

Today's Readings

In the first reading of this Sunday, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son. It looks like as if God wants human blood and human sacrifice…isn’t that so disgusting?

Well, I have seen, in and around my village, the people of other faiths used to offer animal sacrifices just before they till the ground to seek the divine blessing for good crops. It is around the beginning of August every year the feast is celebrated. On that special feast the simple farmer folk would bring their own family’s black hens and black goats and gather in front of the temple with the chief priest to offer them. As a sign of sacrifice to God, half portion of the sacrifice will be given to the temple and, as a sign of blessing, the other half portion will be brought home to celebrate with the family. Even now, my friends of other faiths in and around my village still celebrate it.

What I like in this is not the animal sacrifice but the intention of seeking the blessing of God before tilling the ground for good harvest. In the first reading we have Abraham, who is asked to sacrifice his only son! I am sure that it is not to satiate God’s anger but to test his faith. Even then, it presents a troubling image of God. Abraham may display faith and obedience to an admirable degree but what are we to think of divinity who tests him by letting him believe until the very last moment that he must kill and sacrifice his only son?

But you know what, it implicitly leaves us with a beautiful lesson which we need to trumpet in our society so that it may hear the fundamental truth of life again and again. That is to say, by preventing Abraham from sacrificing his own son, the divinity reveals that God, and God alone, is the author of human life. This teaching is found in the book of Job as well as in the teaching of Jesus. Job, we remember well, having endured suffering to excruciating levels, cries out, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

However, besides that, the beautiful lesson that we may learn from Abraham’s story is that we may like to offer many things but are we ready to give to the Lord what He demands of us? That is the question we need to reflect. This is what Abraham did. He offered everything that the Lord asked of him. If you listen to what God asks of you, God will PROVIDE what you need.

You will realize this point if you just go through his story:
The first time, when Abraham was asked to leave his father’s land to go to a distant place that God would show, he left trusting in the providence of God. After the birth of Isaac, Sarah asked Abraham to cast away his maidservant, Hagar, and his son Ishmael. He was heart-broken, but God asked him to listen to Sarah, not because God wanted Hagar and her son Ishmael to die in the desert, but because God wanted to make a nation of him also as he is also Abraham’s offspring. Abraham, relying on God’s loving care and providence, sends his beloved son Ishmael out into the death-dealing desert. Most likely he thought Ishmael would die. It’s hard to imagine the levels of human suffering that were swirling around these people. Years later, when Isaac grows to about the same age as Ishmael, Abraham is asked again, this time by God Himself, to dispatch his beloved son by plunging a knife into his heart. There are no promises given by God, no indications whatsoever, that there will be any divine protection given to Isaac. All Abraham has left, the only thing upon which he can rely, is God’s goodness and love. Abraham acts on pure faith alone.

And that’s the whole point as well as that of the Gospel account. The truth is that Abraham was ready to offer everything that the Lord asked of him. He just followed the maxim, “Let go and Let God.” He walked towards the dark future that he did not know but COMPLETELY TRUSTING in the Lord, and the Lord PROVIDED.

In the transfiguration, along with the messianic witness of Elijah and Moses, the Father’s voice affirms the divine status of Jesus: “This is my Son, the Beloved, Listen to Him!” It perhaps answers too the question of Peter: how come, Jesus whom he confessed as the son of God, would suffer? If we remained buried in our present suffering, we will not be able to see the horizon of hope. We must raise our eyes toward that hope so that we can see the sign of joy beyond suffering.

Transfiguration is simply a glimpse of the gift and glory of God. Today, Christ reveals his future Glory. However, to attain the fullness of this glory, He must first suffer and be crucified. This is a road that we must also walk to partake in this glory.
He DEMANDS only one thing from us: “Listen to him!” Listening to Christ means transforming our lives and changing our ways. It means living according to the word of God we hear every day.

So, Christ speaks to us through the poor and the marginalized, through the defenseless, through the sick, through the abandoned old people, through the abandoned children in our streets, through the millions of aborted babies all over the world. Christ speaks to us through our lonely neighbors who need some care. Christ speaks to us through families and communities in difficulties.

Finally, if we respond to these quickly, rather than being indifferent, then we have listened to Jesus Christ, the beloved son of God.

Heavenly Father, as we walk with Abraham today, help us to listen to your Beloved Son. Give us courage so that we may leave everything that dominates our lives so as to be fully dominated by the words of your Son Jesus, the true Guide. Help us unite our suffering with the suffering of Jesus Christ so that we may be worthy of participating in the vision of His heavenly glory. Amen!

Fr. Jisaya Nayak is a Vincentian priest. He is a summer associate at St. Stephens, but was unable to spend last summer with us due to the pandemic. He is completing his doctorate in Rome.

March 1

Today's Readings

I’m not sure why, but when the time rolls around to write a reflection, I tend to choose the reading of the day that deals with judgment…maybe it’s because it’s something that is all around us. And after a year of living in a pandemic, I think all would agree that we are all guilty of judging others...who’s wearing and mask and who isn’t; who’s gathering in a crowd and who’s cancelling events; who’s getting a vaccine, who’s refusing, or who’s possibly scamming the system…lots of judgment out there. As a friend of mine put it, early on, “we are not our best selves right now.”

I recently read an interesting article in the New York Times about how Canadians, generally considered our very friendly, easy-going neighbors to the north, are now struggling to be good neighbors to each other. As Catherine Porter wrote in her article: “Canadians might be known internationally as nice, apologetic and fair-minded. But, a year after the pandemic arrived, some Canadians worry it has exposed a very different national persona: judgmental, suspicious and vengeful.”

From the same NYT article: “Historically, stigma and shaming have faithfully trailed pandemics,” said David Barnes, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies the history of infectious diseases and epidemics. He continued: “During the plague in Europe, Jewish people became convenient scapegoats. During the cholera epidemic in Britain in the 19th century, working-class Irish people were blamed.” A couple Sundays ago, during his homily, Deacon Tom spoke about the ostracization of those with leprosy – how they were completely cut off from society due to their disease. The more things change, it seems, the more they stay the same.

Further in today’s reading is the concept of giving…the more you give, to you more gifts are given…and those gifts may be unexpected. For the last eight months I have been doing the Mass seating for weekend Masses and holidays (a task for which I may end up in witness protection one day) and greeting for at least one Mass per weekend…giving the gift of my time and the ability to play a mean game Tetris in an effort to get everyone safely seated.

This task came with unexpected gifts…putting names to faces (albeit masked for now) for so many parishioners and seeing, really finding out, the width and breadth of the make-up of our parish – from the long-time pillars of the parish and couples whose children are grown, to the young adults and, of course, the families large and small…young families with babies and toddlers whose parents hope to hear half of what is said that morning; families with school age children who you can see have been in Mass enough to know responses, and families with older children who often slide into the pew with tousled hair because they just got up and drove separately…but they’re there.

All have received the gift of faith and appreciate its riches. And I hope some appreciate the gift this pandemic has given us all as we attend Mass…especially the part where you don’t always sit where you would have pre-Covid. You’ve probably noticed some of the different people that attend St. Stephen’s, might appreciate the struggle of young parents who are seated near you juggling their brood (perhaps as you once did long ago); smile inwardly at the normally eye-rolling teenagers who are there nonetheless; and the young adults, who often attend alone but faithfully every week. They are the future of the faith. I would not have necessarily noticed this before from my seat in the third row on the Mary side, or from the choir, but I see it now from my perch in the Atrium as everyone checks in. It is a gift… the chance for the young and the old, the serene and the harried, the happy and the sad, to all come together for one purpose: making Jesus and the Eucharist the center of our lives.

The pandemic has certainly taken its share from our lives, no one would argue with that. But one need only look past what was taken away to see what has, in fact, been given back and appreciate that gift. Maybe “going back to normal” will be little different after all.

Lord Jesus, help us to be less judgmental and to open our eyes, look for and appreciate the unexpected gifts that come our way. Amen.

Katie Bisaro is a long-time parishioner of St. Stephen’s who hopes to recognize all the people she’s met once the masks come off.

March 2

Today's Readings

Good morning, I hope you all had a rejuvenating weekend, and you are ready for the challenges that the almighty Tuesday may and likely will bring.

A new week am I right? A new week to finally finish last week’s tasks and to push off any new ones. A new week of muttering the all too familiar phrase, “Is it the weekend yet?”. I find it to be a beautiful cycle, the yearning for the safety of Saturday, the suspension, then finally the erupting and internal elated cheers, all to come back to the yearning once again. A cycle that I find fits the Catholic truth fairly well. At least my truth, fairly well.

Today’s reading is about returning to the Father. To have your sins forgiven and your heart replenished. Even the darkest of reds can be purified to match the shepherd’s sheep at the Lord’s will. For a clearer comparison, we sin and run and hide, we confess our sins, enjoy that one hour of holiness, and then go back to the sin-filled lives we had just swore off two hours prior. We’re not perfect, but that is the beauty of the Church. He will always be there for us and be there waiting to sanctify our bodies with gentle arms. But that’s the thing, He will always be there. Putting that into mind, I myself especially, have fallen into a pattern of pushing off last week’s task of daily prayer or perhaps I’ll just dose off a bit during the Psalms because I can just read them at home, knowing that I can get to them at my own discretion. A lot of me me me in my mind when it 100% is not about me. It’s not even about my neighbor, it’s about Him. As Catholics we all know that. I know that. Yet, I continue my pattern. I have taken this Lenten season and instead of giving up chocolate or sweets past 10pm I am giving up a me centered attitude towards my faith. To go to the Lord on His time and not when it is convenient for me. My faith would not exist if it were not for Him, a symbiotic relationship that I have selfishly for too long excluded His desires.

“Come now, let us set things right”. Yearn and desire His safety. Yearn for something more than 48 hours of temporary release. But for the chance to be clean. Let us set things right and do as the disciple would do.

To close with a prayer,
My friends and family of the Church, I pray that together we find the strength in our hearts to give it all to Him. To live a holistic life of love and gratitude, and to live each day as you would in the Eternal Garden. May God Bless, be still and know.

Lian Walker is 17 years old and a senior at Warwick Valley High school. She plans to study Civil Engineering in school next year. She is also an avid golfer and hopes to continue recreationally in college.

March 3

Today's Readings

In today’s reading the people of Judah plan to conspire against Jeremiah. This prophet predicted something that the people of Jerusalem did not want to hear. He predicted the downfall of the city, and this was a very unpopular vision. Jeremiah was speaking the word of God, but many people did not want to hear what He had to say.

How often in life do we know that something is wrong, but we feel like we cannot make it right? And, if we do try to make it correct, what we are doing is against the cultural norms. Or, maybe we fear the consequences of our actions even though our intentions are good. At times we may even fear retribution for following through on our true convictions. Have you ever felt like this?

In the gospel reading, Jesus and the disciples literally climb up the mountain in Jerusalem. This is the place where Jesus will die to fulfill the purpose of His life. I do not know how many people on this earth who think of death as their fulfillment of life. Unless you practice faith, I believe that this is a difficult concept to grasp. Think of all of the things that we define as successful in life. Are they based on monetary possessions, or compassionate and faithful actions? Are they attributed to greed and accolades, or service and sacrifice? Jesus commits the ultimate sacrifice by giving himself up to God and his people.

The Serenity Prayer

Lord help me to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Ryan Candia is a WVHS Social Studies Teacher. He is a lifelong Catholic and a 4 year parishioner of St. Stephen's.

March 4

Today's Readings

March 5

Today's Readings

In the parable in today’s Gospel reading from St. Matthew, Jesus speaks about His own death and the prophets who came before Him to the Jewish people. It directs us to look towards Good Friday which is the destination of our Lenten journey. He tells the story of the vineyard owner who leased his vineyard to tenants and went off. He sends two different groups of servants to obtain the produce of the vineyard but they are both beaten, killed, and stoned. Finally, the vineyard owner sends his own son, saying that “They will respect my son.” However, they seize him, throw him out and kill him too.

Christ then asks the chief priests and elders around Him what the vineyard owner should do to the tenants. They respond, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Christ responds with scripture and confirms to them that they will lose the Kingdom of God and others will obtain it.

The first two groups of servants sent by the owner are the prophets of the Old Testament who were constantly rejected by the Jewish people and were the tenants of the Kingdom of God. Finally, the vineyard owner sends his son who, of course, represents Christ. He is also seized, thrown out, and killed just as Christ will be by the Jewish people.

There are two main points that I took away from this parable. The first is Christ asking the Chief Priests what should happen to them. Christ does not stand there, say the parable, and then immediately condemn them and tell them they will lose the Kingdom. He allows them to condemn themselves just as their own previous generations have done by killing the Holy Prophets of God. As the saying goes, God sends no one to hell, people send themselves. It is our actions today that determine where we end up just as it was the actions of God’s chosen people. We must strive to be as close as possible to Christ which will enable us one day to reside with the Most Holy Trinity in Heaven. We must daily work for this, never giving up, in order to maintain our place in God’s Kingdom.

The second point, which personally gives me a lot of hope, is the great Love of God that is clear throughout the entire Gospel. The first thing Jesus mentions is how the vineyard owner got everything ready for the tenants. This is just how God created everything for us and saw that it was good. As St. John Chrysostom puts it, “nothing was left undone.” All God’s people had to do was to take care of it and they didn’t. However, this didn’t change God’s infinite love. God loves man so much that He sent one group of prophets, then a second group, and finally His very own son. God did not stop after the first prophet was killed to give man another chance at redemption. He kept sending them all the way through until the entire story of salvation became complete with Christ’s death and resurrection. God taking away the Kingdom was also a great act of love as it became open to the Gentiles and many more through the Catholic Church. Thus, the fulfillment of scripture Jesus quotes “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.” It is no longer exclusive to the Jewish people. All are welcomed into God’s Kingdom, as long as they obey His Commandments.

It is through the constant striving for holiness showered in God’s infinite and unconditional love that we will remain worthy to be members of the Kingdom of God.

Heavenly Father, help us always to remember Your unfailing love for us and guide us to be shining lights of Your Son in this world. May we always remember that we are sinners in need of Your Mercy and never forget the need of childlike dependency on You. We ask this in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

James Tiedemann graduated from St. Stephens in 2013. He is attending Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry where he is majoring in Media Studies/Journalism. He is a board member of New York Catholic Radio. He also is a member of the local Knights of Columbus council and helps usher at Mass on the weekends.

March 6

Today's Readings

Sometimes I find that God is subtle and other times He delivers a message, often very simple, but with more of the hurricane approach. Today’s readings were the gale force wind style, especially when I looked at them all together. Below are some words from each reading today.

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 – “Shepherd your people”; “who is there like You, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin”; “who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency” (a.k.a. mercy); “and again will have compassion on us”

Psalm 103 – “The Lord is kind and merciful”; “he pardons…heals”; “redeems…crowns with kindness and compassion”

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 - The well-known parable of the Prodigal Son. Forgiveness.

Wow! The theme of forgiveness and mercy couldn’t be stronger. Bad or difficult situations or poor past decisions don’t have to end in the negative. There’s alwaysan option with Jesus. There is always a path to a better place through Jesus. We can always come back from shame, guilt or mistakes of any type or magnitude - with Jesus.

We have all been through difficult parts of life. I truly believe that everyone has their share of challenges in life (no matter how put together their life may appear). In going through the challenging seasons of life or having to face difficult decisions or consequences, we never have to go through it alone. We always have God and we are never alone.

All the above phrases and words are gifts given unconditionally to us. They don’t apply to us only when we are worthy or have earned them. These are some of the many promises God makes to us. We just need to accept them and invite God to open our hearts to receive them.

Looking at the Gospel, let’s focus on the very beginning and then the last line.

"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

We are all sinners, at varying levels and at various stages in our lives. Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them (and us). Let’s take Jesus up on his constantoffer and spend a little more time with him in thought, prayer or just silence. Time with God is like dream time or creation time in Genesis – just minutes of our time can have an impact like hours/days of connecting with our Creator. Spend just a few minutes with Him when you can. It is never wasted time.

“..he was lost and has been found."

No matter how lost we are - ranging from not very lost and “doing ok” or extremely lost with no one nearby to ask for directions - let’s try to be found a little more each day by God. We only need to spend time with Him. His invitation is always waiting for us to accept it.

Jesus, thank you for your grace and mercy. Please help me to spend a few more minutes with you each day to learn your ways of forgiveness and compassion and how to pass them on to others I encounter.

Bob Kerr, his wife Mary-Ellen, and their three children have been parishioners of St. Stephens since 1996.

March 7

third sunday of lent

Today's Readings

The Cleansing of the Temple

This is actually the Third Temple.

1^st - Solomon
2^nd – Was destroyed and rebuilt After Babylonian Exile 539 BC
3^rd - Temple of Herod. Destroyed in 70 - all that is left is Western or “Wailing” Wall.

Our Jewish friends were and still are people of the Covenant – They try to live by the 10 commandments.

First three – honor and worship God. One of the ways was to come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice, especially on Passover.

1) Some had to come a long way. They could bring their own animals for sacrifice, but they had to be without blemish – also, priests would not quickly certify animals from outside – so they had a cornered market. This kept prices high.
2) The money had to be changed into shekels - Roman money was unclean – Jews could not use money that had pagan images. Money changers would charge a high rate of exchange.
3) All the buying and selling could get out of hand. - who could even pray with all the noise????

All this gave Jesus a righteous anger - things are not in right relationship with God - some anger is good anger – it can be for a good purpose – like when someone is taken advantage of.

On this day, Jesus flipped the tables and said: “my house shall be a house of prayer!”
He cleaned out the temple. It was Time for a radical cleaning.

This Scripture has a significant place in Lent.
St. Paul wrote - “Are you not a temple of the Holy Spirit?”
Lent is a time for the cleaning of OUR temple!
The Perfect Instrument is – the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Why not? Some excuses:
1) Feelings of guilt and shame - I must face the truth about myself. Truth is difficult! I may have to change. Like - maybe I must put software filters on my home Internet to keep bad stuff out. Remember – this is all about the mercy of God who forgives & welcomes us back!

2) There were changes for those of us who are a bit older - do I have to go face to face, how about the old act of contrition Listen: go the way you always did!

3) I may not know what to confess - Sometimes children say – I have no sins. What if we were to ask Mom??? Examine your conscience every day. Look to 10 commandments as a helpful guide. There are also good guides on the Internet.

4) Why must I tell a priest? He is not an intermediary, but a mediator – a channel of the power of the Holy Spirit – a precious gift given by Jesus to the Church - You leave knowing, without question, you are forgiven!

Godfather III

Don Corleone tells the Cardinal – a legitimate deal with the Vatican bank has gone sour.
The Cardinal picks up stone “It has been lying in water a very long time. The water has not penetrated it. He smashes the stone. Look – perfectly dry. Same has happened to the men of Europe – surrounded by Christianity for centuries, but Christ does not live in their hearts.”

This is what we call a hardened heart.
Why not invite Jesus into our hearts for Lent?
Cleanse the Temple – Get ready for Easter!

Fr. Michael McLoughlin is pastor at St. Columba Catholic Church in Hopewell Junction. He was pastor of St. Stephens from 2000 - 2014.

March 8

Today's Readings

Good morning, new day, new you. I hope you all had a safe and warm weekend, and you are ready for the joys of March 7, 2021. In last week’s reflection I wrote about the significance of symbiotic relationship with God and to remember that it takes two to pray. One to pray and one to listen. For this week, I will be writing about the significance of trust and faith in our relationship with the One and only.

Today’s reading revolved around an esteemed commander, Naaman, in the King’s military branded with the disease of leprosy. He sought for a cure and knew to go to the Lord, except was angered when he heard what he had to do. Reluctant and distraught, but eventually complied after listening to his servants. Not surprising, he was healed and proclaimed the truth of only one God, our God. So, taking the synopsis I just wrote and playing it into our lives, we find ourselves quite similar to Naaman. When I was reading the passage, my mind kept saying, “just do it man, wash in the Jordan, don’t question Him”. It was quite easy for me to be the Monday night quarterback and judge every doubt this man had, but who am I to judge when I would do the same thing. I am human. We were given the right to question and explore. But we were also given the grace of trust. The contradictory emotions of doubt and trust always seem to coincide with each other and battle it out for the victory of our mind. But there is only one victor. Faith. Faith in Him but arguably more important, faith in yourself. He will never change, will never phase or stray. Trust in Him and know that your faith is stronger than any doubt that you will ever have. This past year has tested us as a Church. And as we round 3^rd base and onto the homestretch of a 1-year anniversary of a masked world, I hope you can say that you have grown stronger in your relationship with Him despite circumstance. Because I know I have. Prayers to you all and your families, God Bless.

Lord, I ask of you to bless our congregation and show us forth a world of your love and guidance. May our days be filled with family and friends under the warm blue skies. Brothers and Sisters, I ask for you to reach out your hand and help guide those who are lost so we may all find ourselves together once again under the eternal roof.
Be still and know.

Lian Walker is 17 years old and a senior at Warwick Valley High School. She has been a member of St.Stephen's Parish since she was adopted and was in St.Stephen's Youth Group a few years back. She also is a peer minister for the Capuchin Friars at Graymoor in Garrison, NY.

March 9

Today's Readings

Today’s readings for the Tuesday of the third week of Lent speak to the more excellent way of compassionate mercy in its divine and human forms. Equally essential to the granting of compassion and mercy is the condition of a humble and contrite heart which recognizes its weaknesses and need for compassionate mercy: “For we are reduced, O Lord, …this day because of our sins”; …“But with a contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received “ in the first reading from Daniel. And “…thus he shows sinners the way”… “He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way” is found in Psalm 25.

The reading from Matthew 18, known as “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant”, follows in the convention of many of Jesus’ parables, and is illustrative of the workings of God’s ways in very real, and tangible situations of daily life in Jesus’ time. Jesus paints indelible images in our minds of characters and circumstances to create a compelling plot line that often depicts a situation that has potentially more than one resolution: human and divine. It is Jesus’ wisdom that draws the divine resolution and lesson out of the human one. There is a structure to the parables that reminds me somewhat of the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet: fourteen lines divided as 3 quatrains of four lines each and a concluding couplet. It is in that symbolic “concluding couplet” that we find the divine wisdom.

Following along with the theme of a contrite, humble heart as prelude to God’s compassionate mercy, we find the King moved with compassion to forgive the debt of one of his servants who convincingly portrayed himself humbly and contritely before him. We are moved to consider and appreciate the King’s compassionate mercy in completely releasing the servant from his debt, not negotiating better terms or granting more time, but complete forgiveness (divine). We are relieved for the servant also because the prospect of being sold along with his wife and children to satisfy the debt would not have been pleasant!

Along comes a fellow servant of the Unforgiving Servant who, with humble and contrite sincerity, requests similar compassionate mercy for his outstanding, albeit much smaller, debt. Unfortunately the divine lesson was absent from Unforgiving Servant’s thinking and will and he sought retribution from the servant for his debt (human, unfortunately sometimes).

The lesson from the compassionate King could have guided the Unforgiving Servant to demonstrate God’s more excellent way. But only a truly humble, contrite heart is primed for receiving divine wisdom. Can we not say that the Unforgiving Servant’s humility and contrition only extended as far as his personal situation was concerned and did not become a “way of being” for him? Did his insincere humility and contrition before the King prevent compassionate mercy to truly take root in his mind and heart? It is the quality of humility of heart that moves us to forgiveness as we see ourselves in others and they in us.

Although we may never be called upon to forgive another’s monetary debt by extending compassionate mercy, perhaps we can resolve to see another’s situation or circumstance through the lens of humility so as to extend the compassionate mercy of understanding to them.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
St. Francis of Assisi

Katherine Petrillo-Klein and family have been parishioners for many years, particularly in the Religious Education program. Katherine’s ministries have included Religious Education catechist, and more currently cantor for the Spanish ministry’s monthly mass and lector for English masses.

March 10

Today's Readings

I am rule follower. For instance, when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy the midwife, who was also a good friend of mine, said to me I’m going to give you the diet you need to follow and that’s all you’re going to need because I know you will follow it to the T! Or when I got engaged, we were walking down a beautiful pier in Arlington VA and Mark turned to me and said come this way. I see a walkway leading to a gazebo that overlooks the Potomac and there’s a sign at the entrance. I turn to Mark and say no it says no trespassing to which my patient soon to be fiancé looks at me and says, "Kerry I’m in uniform (his USMC dress blues) no one is going to stop us!" So, I broke the rules and I have to say I’m pretty happy I did!

In today’s readings both Moses and Jesus proclaim to us that we must “follow the rules” in order to pass on to our children what God has given us and to enter the Kingdom of heaven. When I initially read these readings, I think, ok, this is great, I can totally do this. After all, rule following is my bread and butter. However, as I delve deeper, I see there is much more to it than simply obeying the commandments.

There are two words that make me pause in verse 19 of Matthew chapter 5. It says, “But whoever OBEYS and TEACHES these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” So, I have the obey thing down, not of course without its challenges as I am such a sinner, but what about the portion that says “teaches”? As Moses says in the first reading, telling the children of Israel that they must teach their children the commandments. How do I teach? How do you teach? It’s not so black and white as saying, okay, here are the laws you must follow and do it in order to enter the Kingdom of heaven. What God is calling us to do is to LIVE out His laws. It’s through our living that we set the example and it’s through our living that we bring Christ to others and “teach” others who He is.

I invite you to join me today and ask yourself how am I living as Jesus in this world? How are we, during this Lenten season, living a life that is set apart - a life that is glorious and joyous and hard, so hard, but living and breathing the LOVE of Jesus? It’s through this living that we are teaching the world that it’s not so much about obeying every letter of every law but much more about LIVING a life that reflects how much we try every single day to live a life set apart, to live a life that glorifies our beautiful and greatest friend, our Father and our love….our Jesus!

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your beautiful laws and commandments. We pray today Father, that we may be a living and breathing example of your commandments and your laws in this world so that those that see our actions may forever glorify YOU. In your precious name we pray Amen.

Kerry Roberson has been a parishioner of St. Stephen’s parish since her birth 40 years ago! She strives to love Jesus everyday despite her imperfections. She is wife to her loving husband Mark and mother to her beautiful children Brett, Sarah, and Aiden.

March 11

Today's Readings

Close friends and those I force to listen to stories about me getting lost would know, I like to wander. If I were an Israelite during the time of Moses, I would still be wandering the desert to this day. A third of the time I would spend getting lost searching for food, another third I would just be getting lost, and the rest, just wandering for the sake of wandering.

Whenever pride (and fear of being judged) takes over, I claim to be a fearless seeker of adventures. I hate to admit that a planned short walk always turns into a long and aimless wandering because both my mind and heart are equally stubborn. As soon as my feet begin to walk, my mind and heart get into an argument and a heated debate. My mind knows where to go because it prefers to follow directions, but my heart insists on doing otherwise because it relishes getting its way always.

The hardness of heart is a serious matter. I learned that from my "adventures". When left unchecked, undisciplined, and independent of the mind, the heart takes over for the sake of taking over. It will not listen to reason, life-lessons, and foretelling signs of danger ahead. Sure, original sins, perhaps, may be the reason, but what I believe to be the main cause is misplacement of hope. Walking through life with hope that we will eventually find our way, on our own, is wishful thinking. It is a gamble we are meant to lose and pay dearly with our own lives. Can we really count on ourselves to find our way when we cannot find our way?

As we reach the midpoint of our journey through this holy season of Lent, let us heed the call of the readings today: "listen [to the voice of God]...walk in all the ways that [God] commands you, so that you may prosper." "Listening" requires the humility of the heart to recognize its need for guidance. That is to place one's hope, not in the self, but in God alone who is always faithful in His love towards us. He is the shepherd who is always willing to leave his flock of 99 to find the lost sheep.

Hope in God is not wishful thinking. Hope in God does not disappoint. The debate between the heart and the mind can only be resolved by following the mind who knows the truth about Jesus and by making the heart love only Jesus. Only then, our life will find its way back to Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only then we will be found and no longer lost wandering aimlessly in the desert.

May the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph walk with us through the desert, reminding us always that humility of the heart is key to opening the door of salvation. Amen.

Fr. Reynor Santiago has been parochial vicar at St. Stephens since 2017. He enjoys hiking and walking the hundreds of trails nearby during his days off.

March 12

Today's Readings

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The great rabbi, Hillel the elder, interpreted the passage using these words, “Do not do to your fellow that which is hateful to you. This is the whole law. The rest is its interpretation.”

John Wesley described the Greatest commandment using these words: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

According to Merriam - Webster, love is defined as “a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.”

Throughout all time, people have tried to explain love, and are constantly redefining it, but God’s definition is clear and will never change…God is Love.

When we think of love we think of sacrifice, giving it totally for another. Jesus showed us the greatest love when he died on the cross. Jesus said that “the greatest love is giving up one's life for others.” We are called to love like Jesus with our whole being, called to embrace a life of genuine charity.

Each day I enjoy my morning coffee with God and my husband Casey. We meet at the table and pray together before the start of our day. Asking God to center us and bless all that we do, helps to put us in right relationship with the Lord for the rest of the day. This time of centered prayer reminds us of how loved we are and who we are to love and serve throughout our day. As we close our prayer one of us will ask the Lord to bless the work of our hands and all that we do that day to be for His greater glory.

Today I joined some fellow parishioners and volunteered at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. The time I spent there allowed me to ponder all that I am blessed with daily. First, love of God, family, and friends. I realized that I have a life that is filled with all that I need, and then some. I remember that the love I have is meant to be shared. I realized that today I was called to love back in a real way by helping to organized food that will be distributed in the Hudson Valley to families who have food insecurity and who need to be loved by others. Today, God helped me to be the face of Christ to them and to share His love. This is how I chose to put God and others before myself. I wonder what God has in store for me tomorrow!

Today let us ask ourselves, “In what ways can I love God with all my soul, mind and strength? “How can I love my neighbor as myself?”

Lord, what do you want of me today?
I humbly ask you to guide me to love you and others…
with all my heart mind and strength!
Amen

Lydia vanDuynhoven is the D.R.E. of St. Stephen Parish. A lifelong parishioner, she enjoys participating in music ministry, coordinating the Mary’s Meals Tri-State group and participating in any social justice awareness work.

March 13

Today's Readings

Hosea reads, " Come let us return to the Lord...let us strive to know the Lord; as certain as the dawn is his coming."

Psalm 51 reads, "My sacrifice O God is a contrite spirit, a heart contrite and humbled O God you will not spurn."

These lead us into Luke's Gospel in which Jesus paints a vivid picture of the difference between self-righteousness and humility before the Lord. Are we ever convinced that our following the letter of the law somehow makes us better, more worthy before God? Do we pray to Him in a manipulative way, tooting our own horn and spelling out all the reasons we are so wonderful and why He should look favorably upon our goodness? What an insult to the one who created us, who knows us and the depths of our hearts and who understands and loves us completely despite the faults we are not calling to His attention. At times we are all Pharisees.

On the other hand, do we approach Him humbly, recognizing that we need His mercy. Do we recognize His majesty and ask, "O God be merciful to me, a sinner." Our God seeks us always; He welcomes His prodigal children home by embracing them tenderly. Do we open our hands and hearts to Him when we pray letting Him know we understand that all we have are gifts He has given us and that the only boasting we should do is as Paul states in 2 Cor 12: 9 "I will rather boast most gladly of my weakness in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me." Let us, like the tax collector, be honest with our God.

Dear Lord, give me humility as I pray, acknowledging my need for your mercy and gratefully thanking you for your compassionate love. Let me say with the psalmist: "My sacrifice O God is a contrite spirit, a heart contrite and humbled O God you will not spurn. " May I approach you with openness - of heart, hands, ears, and eyes - to seek what you are saying to me in every moment of the day and letting your loving mercy fill all the brokenness within me.
Amen.

Marie Tito is a long time parishioner of St. Stephens.

March 14

fourth sunday of Lent

Today's Readings

The first reading this Sunday gives us a very brief recounting of the Babylonian captivity. Let us imagine how the people felt living in exile, having been uprooted from their homeland, everything they held dear, even from their familiar connection to God through the liturgical worship of the temple. I'd be willing to bet being servants of the king of the Chaldeans was no fun, to say the least. What must the Israelites have thought when the land of their exile was conquered by Persia? Would life become even worse? What would the new rulers do to them? How unbelievable it must have been when Cyrus not only released them but decreed that the temple be rebuilt! Not only could they go home, but they could worship God again as they had previously done. Surely this must have exceeded every expectation and seemed too good to be true. Cyrus, in Isaiah called "Anointed of the Lord", although he was not Jewish and most likely did not worship God as the Israelites understood Him, prefigures Jesus Christ, who through His saving work restored God's people to their true homeland after the long exile in the world.
This is one focus of the second reading and the Gospel reading, that we "dead in our transgressions", utterly, hopelessly unable by our works to restore ourselves, were nevertheless brought to life in Christ by grace, the gift of God. Eternal life, life in Christ, far exceeds even the unbelievable restoration to a home and life in this world to which Cyrus restored the Israelites. May our hearts yearn for our true homeland as did those of the exiles in today's psalm.

Let us pray this Lent for the grace not to prefer darkness to light,
that our evil works may not condemn us,
but instead to love the light and cling to it, never let it go, because the light of the world is none other than Christ, and eternal life is life in Him.

Andrew Olesh, his wife Cristina, and sons Aurelio and Benedetto are new in the parish.

March 15

Today's Readings

“Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight...
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying” (Isaiah 65).

As I reflect on the message of these verses, there is an overwhelming sense of hope
that fills me. I am challenged toward a self-examination of the questions, How much do
I hope in God and the good things he has promised? How much do I concretely put my trust in Him?

The day that I am writing this reflection, March 13, marks the one-year anniversary of
when the world shut down in the Covid-19 global pandemic. This prophecy from Isaiah
and the line, “No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,” speaks to me
because, if I am quite honest, my experience of 2020 into 2021 has been a time filled
with weeping. Many circumstantial and personal factors came into play that led to the
abundance of tears. I am certain, however, that I am not the only one for whom tears
have been a recurrent theme of this past year.

A year ago when the lock-down began, I was firstly faced with the unprepared transition to fully-remote school in the middle of my first year of teaching. I was already struggling to feel confident in my role of guiding the students’ learning on a day-to-day basis; the isolation from my students and faculty did not serve to lengthen the strides I was making in the classroom. Second, I, along with everyone else, dealt with the reality of too many family members trying to inhabit and work in too few spaces in our home. As all six of us were bumping elbows, there also was a spiritual abrazement taking place, an uncovering of long-forgotten family issues and tensions brought out to the surface-- so that they could be healed by God’s grace, but not without the suffering of reliving some painful experiences and the uncomfortable realities of our own sinfulness
towards each other.

The third transition was a happy one: in the midst of these difficulties and the
uncertainties of the world, I got engaged to the love of my life. The joy which fills my
heart at the anticipation of our new life together is coupled with the reality that the year
ahead will bring a total and unknown life transformation. And so, in all of these
moments there have been tears and desperate pleas of crying out to the Lord for his
help, healing, and grace.

Do we remember that the Lord has promised joy to us, a place where the difficulties,
hurts, and pains of the past will be no more? A place where only happiness and joy
reside, and no longer any weeping?

We ought to recall heaven on a daily basis, the “Jerusalem'' that Isaiah references.
However, can we dare to hope that this time of tears will also cease in this earthly life, at least partially? I would like to say, we can.

My wedding day will come. The end of the mask-wearing will come (and wouldn’t I love
if the two were simultaneous!). The final day of Christ’s return will come in which every
sickness, evil, fear, and darkness of doubt will be dispelled. Most immediately, this time
of our Lenten observances will cease, giving way to Easter joy, and this is a reason for
rejoicing and hope.

Pauline Gilmore teaches theology at Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale, NY. She is engage to Kyle and plans to be married in June 2021. She sometimes shares her beautiful soprano voice with us at St. Stephens. Most recently she sang with the St. Stephens Choir for Confirmation.

March 16

Today's Readings

Lord, it’s me Xavier Jonny. I pray that you protect my family
always. Thank you for letting them wake up every morning
and giving them health and lots of love.

Thank you for always keeping them safe when they have to go
outside. Thank you for protecting us and giving us strength
when we got coronavirus.

2020 was one of the toughest years since we’ve lost loved
ones. Lord God I pray for those in my family who didn’t make
it so that they may rest peacefully in heaven next to you.

Please have my Godfather continue to watch over us and also
my cousin Alex and Aunt Aida. Please give my great grandma
Lydia strength and health because she’s not doing too well.

Lord, please help me with my schoolwork so I can continue to
do good and get good grades.

I also pray for my home which I’m super grateful. Please
protect my home so that I can continue to live here.

Thank you for the food I eat every day and my mom who cooks
it. Thank you for giving my dad strength to work many hours
at work and my mom for working during the pandemic.

I pray that the world becomes a better place in every single
way. I pray that there will be peace and everyone will learn to
accept, respect and love each other for who they are. I pray
for the animals including my dogs Jasper and Spirit Basil who I
love so much and thank you Lord for giving me another day.

AMEN

Xavier Jonny Fernandez is a 7th graders in St. Stephens Religious Education Program. He and his family are new parishioners to St. Stephens. He wrote this prayer for one of his family activities.

March 17

Have you ever tried to teach someone something new? It can be very difficult to convey your thoughts so someone else can fully understand what you are trying to teach them. It is easy to overstate and complicate matters with lengthly explanations only to lose the message. To simplify directions can be challenging, and for some, impossible. Yet this is exactly what St. Patrick did for the conversion of the people of Ireland. Using the shamrock as a visual aide, St. Patrick explained the trinity: God the father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, one God, for all the ages to come.
We, too, can simplify our Lenten experience, through our works, and the greatest of our works is prayer. Do not dismiss praying by regarding it as too trivial or too simple. A simple prayer can be meaningful and heartfelt. No prayer is too small and no prayer goes unanswered. One of our greatest prayers is revealed in the Annunciation to our Lady by the Angel Gabriel as he said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.” Turn to the Blessed Mother in all times of need and ask for her loving guidance in all matters great and small.
Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary, we can strengthen our prayer life by praying for those who have no one praying for them, for our enemies as much as for our family and friends, and for most importantly for the love and fellowship of the Catholic Church. May our prayers be subordinate to the will of God as only our heavenly Father really knows our needs and only He can give us the strength to bear our sufferings.

On his feast day, let us pray the Prayer of Saint Patrick:

Christ with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me. Christ in me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ on my right. Christ on my left. Christ in breadth. Christ in length. Christ in height. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me. Christ in every eye that sees me. Christ in every ear that hears me.
Amen.

Donna McCarey lives in Middletown and attends mass with her mom, Louise Cully.

March 18

Today's Readings

I really struggled with what to write for this reflection. It wasn’t coming to me, my heart wasn’t really in it. I read the readings, re-read the readings, tried Lectio Divina, came back to the readings again and read them more slowly, trying to focus on what was reaching my heart. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. And then I realized that the words were there, the Holy Spirit was knocking and I was too deep into my own head to hear the knocking on my heart.

So this is what I finally heard when I opened my heart to hear the voice of the One who knows me, knows everything about me, even those things I try hard to hide from myself.

These past weeks, even months, have been harder for me than last year at this time. I’m so over all of it, yet the reality is that we’re just not “there” yet. It’s exhausting and frustrating, and everyone is struggling to make sense of all of it in their own way, and sometimes it’s hard to explain how you feel and also to understand how others feel. But, maybe this is part of the challenge that God has placed upon us. Maybe we are meant to be right where we are, right now. The question is, how do we respond to that challenge? Do we help each other by listening, by being curious about how others feel and how they’re coping? Or do we judge others for their choices or their behaviors? If I’m being honest, I am definitely guilty of the latter (especially in ShopRite as I’m face to face with someone going the wrong way, which is one of the only times I’m thankful for a mask to hide my expression!)

These are hard days, but the question is this … what’s your end game? These difficult days will cease, we can see the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.” But when it’s all over, will we be better? Will we be that much closer to our end game of making it home to heaven? Will we have taken the opportunity to walk with others towards our forever home? Or will these past months bare no fruit?

As I think of the readings for today, the one that keeps jumping out at me (finally!) is this:

“You search the Scriptures,
because you think you have eternal life through them;
even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life.”

We can read the Scriptures day in and day out, but we need to put actions to those words. This is our chance. Jesus can fill us with life, and that in turn will give us the strength to keep going, and the compassion to help each other walk this journey together. And to show others how fruitful our lives can be, no matter the challenges!

Jesus, help us to run to you, so we can live a life filled with peace and joy, no matter our circumstances … and to bring others with us to meet you.

Mary-Ellen Kerr, her husband Bob, and their three children have been parishioners at St. Stephens since 1996.

March 19

Solemnity of Saint Joseph

Today's Readings

Today is the Feast of St. Joseph. Had this been a “normal” year, I would have been in Florida celebrating the day with my friends in the Italian American club to which I belong. We would be dining on cuisine specific to this feast and dressed in something red as we gazed upon the St. Joseph’s altar laden with an image of St. Joseph, fava beans and bread sculpted into various shapes by our more artistic members. (not me-I prepare the dough) representing St. Joseph and our Catholic faith.

In preparing for this reflection, I have come to realize that St. Joseph represents more than a reason to hold an Italian feast or whose intercession we request in selling a house.

In today’s Gospel we read that Joseph who has been made aware that Mary was with child was planning to divorce her quietly. In a dream, an angel appeared to him directing him not to do so. He obediently complied and “took Mary into his home”. In Matthew 2: 13-23, we learn that in his search for Jesus, Herod planned to kill any baby boy 2 years and under. Instead of getting to return home after the long journey and birth of Jesus, St. Joseph was directed by the angel to go to Egypt. Again, he complied.

I aspire to emulate St. Joseph in his ability to accept God’s will as mine is still evolving. My prayer life is a work in progress. Prayer in my younger days had the basic theme of “this is what I want”. In retrospect, I came to realize that God in his infinite wisdom knew what was best for me as his will gave rise to a much better outcome. Phase two of my prayer life was “this is what I want but please give me the strength to deal with the alternative outcome”. Embracing the philosophy that the “glass is half full” (or maybe 75 percent full) I view the positive in the pandemic as giving me the opportunity for reflection and a greater prayer life. As a result, my prayers are getting closer to “Thy will be done”.

Dear God,
St. Joseph was always obedient to your will without question.
Please grant me the strength to do the same.

Judi Chiodo-Kennedy and husband David Kennedy have been parishioners since 1984. She was blessed to have taught an amazing group of children in our Special needs Sunday Class over the course of 35 years.

March 20

Today's Readings

A Faith Journey: From Under the Cover of Darkness to the Light of Day

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear about the second of three times that Nicodemus was mentioned in the Gospel of John. Who was Nicodemus?

Nicodemus was a very wealthy man who held a powerful position as a ruler of the Pharisees and was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court. Pharisees pledged to obey all traditions and laws down to the tiniest details and they believed that they were the only ones who could interpret God’s word. Nicodemus was like a politician, priest and professor all rolled into one.
___________________________________________________________________________

Nicodemus-The Seeker and the Skeptic

The first time we hear about Nicodemus in the Gospel of John is when he seeks out Jesus at night under the cover of darkness. Most likely he was curious about the man behind the miracles and the healings, but probably did not want anyone knowing that he was going to see Jesus. He struggles to understand and is skeptical when Jesus says, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." He takes Jesus’ words very literally and does not understand how it is possible to be born again of one’s mother’s womb. It was also during this nighttime meeting that Jesus shared the words that have since become one of the most popular verses of the Bible- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life”.
May we always seek God and keep our minds and hearts wide open to his love
___________________________________________________________________________

Nicodemus-The Defender

The second time we hear about Nicodemus is when the Pharisees, getting weary and nervous around Jesus, told the guards to arrest Jesus. The guards were hesitant to do so. Then, Nicodemus speaks up and reminds his fellow Pharisees that they must stick to the detail of the law and not condemn Jesus without Jesus first having a hearing. The Pharisees dispersed and went home.
May we always have the courage and strength to defend our faith, our beliefs and our values
___________________________________________________________________________

Nicodemus-The Believer, The Disciple

The third time we see Nicodemus in the Gospel of John was when he boldly came forward, in the light of day, willing to openly identify himself with Jesus, to help Joseph of Arimathea prepare Jesus’ body and place him in the tomb.
May we all be true and committed followers of Jesus Christ
___________________________________________________________________________

In this current time of “cancel culture” and with the absence of the tolerance and respect that we used to see when “we agreed to disagree”, are you willing to defend Jesus and your faith even when you may be openly criticized and rejected? Has fear ever stopped you from defending Jesus? How does your faith manifest itself in actions? All good questions for all of us to ponder during this reflective season of Lent.

We pray to St. Nicodemus to help us strive to be more like him as we live our lives as Christ-followers, culture-shapers, and faith-defenders. With your help, God, we humbly pray.
Amen

Karen Walker, her husband Erik and their 5 children have been parishioners of St. Stephens for the past 22 years.

March 21

Today's Readings

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

We waited until as close to 3:00 as possible to begin the prayer, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Knowing her time was drawing to a close, we didn’t think she would make it until 3:00. So we began praying at 2:45. My siblings, my dad, my husband...we all surrounded her bed on that beautiful fall, Friday afternoon. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a beautiful and powerful prayer, for Jesus promised St. Faustina that when this chaplet is prayed at the bedside of a dying person, his mercies abound. As 3:00 approached my mom’s breaths were becoming shorter, more strained. She reached her hand towards the ceiling while we continued the chaplet. She looked like she was grabbing hold of something with her hand. And with that, she took her final breath, and started her journey home. It was both devastating and grace-filled all at once. My beautiful mom, my first teacher of God’s great love, was gone. As difficult and painful as it was to say goodbye to my mom, I’m reminded through today’s gospel that Jesus was certainly present during her last moments. He was present to her and present to us as we surrounded her bedside.

Much like Jesus described in today’s gospel, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” As difficult and painful as these past months without my mom have been, I’ve noticed glimpses of this verse in my life. I see God working to renew me, to change me. Through the loss of my mom, whom I loved so dearly, who raised me to always stay close to God, I’ve learned that our time on this precious planet is fleeting, just a blink. And the One we can forever count on, the One who will never leave our side is our Jesus. When we feel we’ve lost everything, we’re reminded of the One who always remains, our Jesus. I have found some very close moments to God these past few months, and perhaps losing my mom was God’s way of letting some of the wheat in my life fall to the earth.

We all experience what Jesus described in this gospel, a loss or a change. Perhaps the wheat in your life was the loss of a job, an endeavour you’d hoped for or the loss of a loved one. I think we can all safely say that we’ve seen multiple grains of wheat fall to the ground during this past year. Have we allowed the grains to change us and bear fruit? Have we used this time to draw closer to God? New growth and new life is often slow and takes its time to mature. But it always begins with a small seed at work in hidden places.

With Jesus’ death, we are given so much more than this world can offer. We’re given the gift of eternal life with Our Heavenly Father, the saints, our loved ones. Jesus reminds us that with death comes new life. This pattern of loss and renewal prepares us for Holy Week. And we will witness once again the profound death and glorious resurrection of Our Savior Jesus on Easter Sunday.

Jesus, give us the grace to allow the grains of wheat
in our lives to fall to the ground according to your good will.
Help us to recall your words,
“...if it dies, it bears much fruit”
We love you and thank you for
remaining with us always.

Amanda Lopez has been a parishioner at St. Stephens for 7 years. She and her husband, Marc, are grateful to be raising their beautiful daughters, Evelyn, Nora and Penelope in a vibrant, faith filled community. They are incredibly excited that baby number four will bless their home this August!

March 22

Today's Readings

Justice, Mercy, and our call to Repent
In the first reading, we hear the story of Susanna, a young wife falsely accused by two politically powerful men with sinful desires, then sentenced to death for a sin that she did not commit. She cries out to God for justice, who saves her from execution through a Daniel who, through questioning of the judges, exposes the truth and turns the tables on the two wicked men.

It is a very satisfying story of God giving justice to a faithful person - the innocent person is saved, her good name is cleared, and the guilty receive the just punishment that they deserved. Justice is a good thing - we all want justice. God knows however, that we need more than justice, for we all sin, and He wants to give us something far better.

As the Gospel verse for this day says: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live.”

The Gospel reading is the famous account of the woman caught in the act of adultery and brought before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees seeking to use her guilt to trip him up. Unlike Susanna though, she is not innocent; so, Justice according to the law of Moses, is not what she needs. Jesus of course points out to the scribes and Pharisees, that they are in no position to exact justice since they also are sinners – all of them. After the accusers all leave, Jesus gives to the woman what she really needs – mercy. He says “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

As so often happens in scripture, God takes something really bad, sin and condemnation, and turns it into something wonderful through His merciful love for us.

This event shows us that the depths of God’s mercy are greater than we could imagine, and how much we can trust His mercy, even if we think we are not worthy of it. The accused woman didn’t voluntarily bring herself before Jesus to ask forgiveness, but is forced there as a guilty person. However, in her time of greatest desperation – at death’s doorstep - she finds herself alone with Jesus. Her humble silence in the face of accusation was her confession. She made no excuses for herself, no defense and did not try to blame the accusers.

God gives her life back to her and calls her to free herself from sin. In that calling, He shows her and us that it is possible and necessary to try to live that way. We know from her experience with Jesus, that when we fail, we can trust in His mercy. And we know from our Catholic faith that we’re not in it alone - in repenting of our sins, God gives us the grace that we need to change our lives.

One more thought about mercy and our call to repent – to “not sin anymore”. We can look to Jesus’ actions to see what this looks like. Jesus shows her mercy simply because she a beloved daughter, even with her failures. He doesn’t deny that she sinned though - didn’t call it something less, so that she would not feel guilty. We need to recognize our sins in order to avoid them in the future. As we each examine our conscience to approach confession during Lent, we are reminded to be totally honest with ourselves so that can make a truly good confession.

Monthly prayer intention of Pope Francis for March: “Let us pray that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God.”

Erik Walker and his wife Karen along with their 5 children have been St. Stephen’s parishioners for over 20 years.

March 23

Today's Readings

As I read today’s first reading, which described the low morale of the Israelites during their long trek through the desert during their flight from Egypt, the first thing that came to my mind was of current events related to the pandemic that we all live through today.

“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”, bemoaned the Israelites to Moses who, with the Lords guidance, was simply trying to save his people from a far worse fate back in Egypt.

As punishment the Lord sent among the people seraph serpents, which bit and killed many.

Moses’ response to the Lord was repentance and called upon the Lord to grant them mercy and free them from the dangerous serpents. And in answer to Moses’ plea, the Lord commanded him to “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.”

This is where the connection in my mind to our present situation came. As I thought of the saraph mounted on a pole, I immediately thought of the medical symbol of the two snakes intertwined on a staff, called the Caduceus. A symbol used widely today in the US medical system.

As we’ve now passed the 1-year anniversary milestone of our long and painful journey through this pandemic and have lived through loss and sadness and deprivation together, it feels to some extent like we all are the Israelites in the desert. And we’ve all grown tired of the isolation, separation, and mask wearing that is intended to keep us safe until a vaccine can protect us. Are we not unlike the disgruntled Israelites complaining about their desperate situation in the desert? I know I’ve complained a few times about the impact that this pandemic has caused.

And as that discontent and impatience grows, do we not see in the news those who continue to argue against the advice of the Medical community on the protocols intended to keep us all safe? The same community represented by the symbol of the serpents on the pole, whose oath it is to keep us free from harm?

“O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.” As today’s refrain from the psalms cries out. So too are we weary people cring out for the end of this pandemic.
The gospel connects us to the first reading, with Christ’s words, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me.”

As the Lord commanded Moses to create the seraph for the Israelites to look upon and be saved by their faith of God, Christ himself tells the Pharisees to look upon Him, as one in being with God, and too be saved.

May our faith bless us with patience to continue this difficult journey together through the desert of the pandemic and may our shared trials and sorrows strengthen our faith in God’s love for us.

Joe Gregoire is a parishioner since 1997, living in Warwick with his wife Tracy. He is Director of Sales for a paperboard packaging company, Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension, and enjoys spending time helping Tracy with the charity she created, Small Things Inc.

March 24

Today's Readings

It’s been a long cold winter with many days spent at home, so we’ve been
warming up by the wood stove. Recently, the stove was on and needed wood.
When I opened the door to add the wood, I felt the extreme heat burst forth and
saw the red- hot ember base. I couldn’t help but think of today’s reading of King
Nebuchadnezzer and his demands that his god be worshipped. The three boys
refused and were thrown into the superheated furnace.

Fortunately, we live in a time when being thrown into a literal furnace is unlikely.
Yet, there are definitely times when I feel like I’ve gone from the frying pan into
the fire. Often, we have little control over the circumstances that put us in
challenging situations. The pandemic, for example, is not something we can
control, yet we still find ourselves in the midst of chaos, opposing opinions, and
new socially acceptable practices.

Upon further reflection of this reading and the other Lenten readings, I notice the
same theme resurfacing again and again. Trust in God, with confidence and
certainty. The three boys trusted. They were not seeking a specific resolution. We
see they do not escape the furnace, but Jesus joins them in their trials.

If asked, I would insist that I trust God, but (and this is my stumbling block) I trust
with my heart. My mind isn’t quite so trusting. When difficulties arise, I try every
option I can think of and it’s not until all other possibilities are exhausted that I
hand it over to God. It’s those times when I understand that this is the moment
God has been waiting for; ready to embrace me in His loving arms, realigning life’s
roadblock. I never learn anything the first time and fortunately, God is patient
with me, so we’ve done this together many times. What amazes me each time is
that the outcome is always unexpected.

As we approach the final weeks of Lent, let’s invite Jesus to join us as we manage
the little fires faced in our daily lives. Starting small can have a big impact and
better prepare us for other challenges of life.

Finally, remember in today’s reading, there were four men in the fire. We are not
asked to do it alone. Jesus is always there to walk with us, even or maybe
especially, when we are in the fire.

Lord, I trust that you are always with me.

Cathy Casse and her husband Steve are parishioners of St. Stephen’s.

March 25

The Annunciation of the Lord

Today's Readings

We are one week away from the holiest days of the year: the Holy Triduum. Yet, before our focus remains fixed on the days and hours leading up to Jesus’ Passion, we are given a chance to reflect on the moment that allowed for God’s ultimate expression of love…Mary’s simple ‘yes’ which brought the second Person of the Trinity into the world as a helpless babe.

The Angel Gabriel brought news of great joy; not only that Jesus was to be born of the Virgin Mary but that God wanted to experience life among us and alongside us in this world. He wanted to be in solidarity with us—His children.

God’s plan to restore humanity to His Love did not have to involve suffering. The price of Original Sin could have been paid by any number of ways. Yet God choseto have Jesus born of a woman to experience humble and simple beginnings, flee from persecution, be challenged with life’s tasks, and know first hand the joys and sorrows of humanity. Jesus brought these lived experiences—as well as those he witnessed in his ministry—to Calvary and offered them as a perfect sacrifice to God on the Cross.

Because of this plan, God was able to be among us and alongside us throughout this past year. His solidarity with us has made the trials of this past year more bearable—whether we were aware of His presence or not. Moreover, this solidarity and selfless Love on display has inspired countless people around the world to be Christlike to our brothers and sisters particularly in need.

Next week, as we approach the cross on Good Friday, may we unite our own lived experiences from this past year and those of our neighbors with Jesus’ one sacrifice on Calvary. There at the foot of the cross, may we join Mary contemplating the implications of her ‘yes’ so many years ago and witness first-hand how good is the Father’s will...even in the darkest of times.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your loving presence this day and every day in our lives. As we reflect on your goodness this day, may we like Mary assent to your will. Give us the comfort and strength to carry out that will in our lives and be witnesses of your Son to our brothers and sisters.
Amen.

Anthony Marcella has been a part of the St. Stephen’s community since 2019. In addition to his involvement with music ministry, he is a participant in The Search, and our parish’s book club and movie group.

March 26

Today's Readings

“ In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.”
This verse in today’s Psalm struck me.  How often do we call out to God, asking for him to answer our prayers?
How often do we feel those prayers go unheard?
We cry out in times of pain, of suffering, of angst.
We fret over the unsurmountable problems of our worldly days.
We worry over the small and large tasks.
We fight our battles and call for help.
We yell, we whisper, we wait, we wait, we wait… Feeling unheard.
Yet through it all- God does hear us.
He listens to each and every one of us, he feels our tears, he senses our pain, he breathes our angst. And he hears us.

This past year has been a struggle for all.
It seemed in so many of those days that we were alone. Isolated in our lives. Shut apart from society, and left to be closed in to our own minds, filled with worry and dread of the unknown. Feeling fully unheard and unseen in the eyes and ears of the Lord.
I too struggled immensely. The endless days left for time of too much reflection of my own anxieties and strife. Yet when I look back, I see how the Lord presented moments to uplift my heart and remind me of better days to come. In the silence, and moments of quiet reflection. In the walks and small talks with my children. In the hikes with views of the world and shrunken problems below. And in the magnificent sunsets, a promise of new tomorrows.

One of my favorite poems is “Footprints in the Sand”. Its words convey a sense of the Lord’s nearness and presence in times of hardships and trial. Often in my life I have looked upon these words as a reminder that when I feel most alone, it is then that I am most embraced.

“ One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you.”

The Lord is always with us.
He listens.
He hears us.
He always will.

Kerri Fenton Foley has been a parishioner of St Stephens for nearly 15 years with her four children. When it is not a pandemic, she serves as a Eucharistic Minister and embraces her role for Catholic Charities OSU as their Community & Parish Relations Coordinator.

March 27

Today's Readings

Mary's Seven Sorrows
Let us enter into Mary's sorrow. Let us breathe deeply of her pain. Let us repent for the cause of her tears.
"To what shall I equal thee that I may comfort thee, o virgin daughter of Sion?... O ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there is any sorrow like to my sorrow." Lamentations of Jeremias
Mary's first sorrow were Simeon's words to her. " '...thy own heart a sword shall
pierce....' " She kept these words in her heart and awaited their fulfillment.
Let us console Mary:
Hail Mary...
The flight into Egypt. " ' Herod will seek the child to destroy him.' " They feared for the life of their child.
Hail Mary...
The loss of the child in the temple. Mary said, " ' Behold in sorrow thy father and I have been seeking thee.' "
Hail Mary...
The meeting on the way of the cross. How Mary's heart must have ached. She followed and suffered with him. What words of love passed between them.
Hail Mary....
Jesus died on the cross. He said," 'It is consummated .' And lowered his head, he gave up his spirit." Mary participated in a mother's greatest fear. She sobbed. Her heart was now pierced by the sword.
Hail Mary...
Jesus was taken down from the cross. He was placed in his mother's arms. Filled with unspeakable anguish she holds her son. She kissed his face.
Hail Mary...
Jesus was buried. They prepared and buried his body. Her heart was now crushed with anguish and full of pain. She turned aside.
Hail Mary...

Quotations from the Gospel of St Luke.

Nancy Reinauer is a lifetime member of St. Stephen's and a catechist.

March 28

Palm Sunday

Today's Readings

The Church celebrates today as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. Today's liturgy combines contrasting moments of glory and suffering - the royal welcome given to Jesus by his followers and the unjust dram of his trial which end in the crucifixion. The first part of today's Gospel describes the royal reception which Jesus receives from his admirers. They paraded him for a distance of two miles - from the Mount of Olives to the city of Jerusalem. In the second part, we listen to the Passion of Christ according to Mark. We are challenged to examine our own lives in the light of some of the characters in the story like Peter who denied Jesus, Judas who betrayed Jesus, Pilate who acted against his conscience and condemned Jesus to death, Herod who ridiculed Jesus and the leaders of the people wo preserved their positions by getting rid of Jesus. As we once again hear the words of the Passion, let us ask ourselves some questions: 1. Does Jesus weep over my sinful soul as he wept over Jerusalem at the beginning of the Palm Sunday procession? 2. Am I a barren fig tree? God expects me to produce fruits of holiness, purity, justice, obedience, charity and forgiveness. Or do I continue to produce bitter fruits of impurity, injustice, pride, hatred, jealousy and selfishness? As we begin this most special week of the Church year and come to the closing days of Lent, can we make the time to awaken all of our senses to those events that lead us to that special moment of next week's feast?

Fr. Jack Arlotta is pastor at St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish.

March 29

Today's Readings

Today’s Gospel brings us back to Bethany six days before the Passion of our Lord. The family of Lazarus has invited their dear friend, Jesus, and His disciples to their home for a meal. A celebration in thanksgiving for the miraculous restoration of life to their beloved brother.

At the outset, the scene is reminiscent of many family get-togethers. Have you ever noticed when you gather as a family, especially when you go back to your childhood home, each member of the family returns to their ‘assigned role’? Inevitably, there is the worker bee, the expert, the listener, the enthusiast, and the complainer.

In this scene, Martha is busy as hostess tending to dinner preparations and making sure each guest has been welcomed. Notice, on this day, she takes gratification in her role as servant. Lazarus, a living witness to the miraculous power of Jesus, listens intently to his friend as he talks in warm, familiar company. Mary, always attentive to the Lord and more so today as she senses His time is near, is anointing Jesus with a rare and expensive oil, foreshadowing his burial. She wipes His feet with her hair in humble servitude, totally immersed in her love of the Lord.

Enter Judas, outraged, accusatory, and critical of the blatant waste of money. Jesus quickly admonishes him, appreciative of Mary’s kindness toward Him and reminds those gathered they will not always have Him with them. The time to be present is now.

The personalities in this Gospel reflect how people approach their relationship with God. There are the Marthas. The doers who convey their faith in action. Their lives are expressed in acts of social justice and the corporal works of mercy. There are the Lazaruses. Witnesses to the truth, but reluctant to share it, content to express their faith by attending mass and receiving the sacraments. There are the Judases. The naysayers and doubters of the world; they could be the unchurched or estranged from faith, who choose to embrace the seductions of the world and criticize those of faith for their devotion.

And there are the Marys. Their lives are completely focused on the Lord. They are the prayerful, unabashedly committed to their relationship with Jesus and centered on the spiritual works of mercy.

As we enter the final days of our Lenten journey, may we be like Mary, immersed in our relationship with Jesus, in a world deaf to His teaching. May we walk the path in adoration and anticipation of His death, even in the face of scorn from those around us.

Beloved Jesus, during this final week of my Lenten journey,
help me to be ever mindful of your ultimate sacrifice for my sins.
Clear my mind of the distractions that keep me from centering on you and lead me to devote more time in prayerful reflection of your love and mercy. Amen

Janet Fenton is a 48-year member of St. Ann’s Church (St. Paul and St. Ann Parish) in Nyack. She joined ‘The Search’ on the recommendation of her daughter, Kerri Fenton-Foley, a member of the St. Stephen the Martyr Parish since 2006.

March 30

Today's Readings

The atmosphere in the upper room is tense with a heavy cloud of fear and uncertainty. Jesus prepares his disciples for the horror that is to come: betrayal, torturous suffering, death, and something beyond. It is difficult for them to wrap their minds around all this leading to new life. The disciples are afraid, anxious, and in panic at the prospect of the project of Jesus coming to an end. They left their former way of life to accompany him. They witnessed his preaching, his compassion, and his mighty works of healing. Their strong bonds to the Master have birthed hope, joy and love; but now everything is being turned upside down by this talk of betrayal and death.

Peter encourages the youngest of the group to seek more information from the Master. John leans on the chest of Jesus as a child leans on a mother or father. In the midst of the fear and anxiety he leans on the heart of Jesus to seek comfort and light in the midst of the darkness of this moment. In this simple gesture, the disciple gives us a spiritual practice that encourages us to deal with our own fear and anxiety.

I’m a Redemptorist missionary serving in Brazil, and accompanying poor men who are struggling with addictions to various psychoactive substances (mainly cocaine and crack). Most of them exhibit intense fear and anxiety in the therapeutic process. One young man I accompanied, who I will call José, came to us after passing through the criminal justice system for selling drugs. He is a large, physically strong, and imposing young man, who for most of his adolescence was a member of a very violent and dominant Brazilian gang. Upon initiating treatment, José was riddled with guilt, remorse, and fear. He had perpetrated countless acts of violence against other users who owed money, and against other gangs. His identity was formed in violence, aggression, and death. Now in his early twenties, José wanted to change his life; however, he had great difficulty controlling and understanding his anger and aggression. After a couple months of counseling, he began to perceive that the roots of his anger and aggression in large part were from an experience of sexual assault by a young man who drugged him when José was 9 years old and afterwards, left him in a construction site. After this traumatic experience José became more and more aggressive and as a teen entered the world of gang violence. Now as an adult he was experiencing an intense mixture of rage, shame, guilt, fear and anxiety. The therapeutic process has helped him come to grips with his past, and to become freer to move forward in his life.

As part of his treatment plan, José was encouraged to cultivate a spirituality based on God’s love using prayer imagery. One such practice involved engaging in deep, slow abdominal breathing while imagining himself in the Divine embrace and leaning on the heart of Jesus. This greatly decreased his fear and anxiety. The practice also encouraged him to persevere in the painful therapeutic process, and to open to inner healing. Now in post-treatment, he is rebuilding his life in sobriety and making healthier choices on his new journey. José continues the prayer practice of leaning on the heart of Jesus.

This past year was full of uncertainty and anxiety for most of us. We’ve passed through very challenging socio-political upheaval, and a life-threating pandemic. Social scientists reported an increase in depression in some, and intense anxiety in others. There have been great disturbances even in the experience of being and expressing ourselves as Church.

During this Holy Week we are invited to lean back on the heart of Jesus to seek comfort in any experience of fear, anxiety or uncertainty. Breathe deeply and slowly from the abdomen, while imaging yourself leaning on the heart of Jesus, and even entering the heart of Jesus in deep spiritual communion. In the heart of Jesus, we can face our wounds and weaknesses; and, we can realize healing and renewed strength. In the heart of Jesus, we can return to our deeper and truer selves, illuminated by Divine love for us and all. In the heart of Jesus, we find the courage to journey through death to new life.

I live as a Redemptorist hermit in central-western Brazil (about four hours from Bolivia). I practice a contemplative solidariedade with the poor: part of each day in contemplative prayer, and part offering individual counseling to addicts in a Redemptorist treatment comunidade in a rural area.

Fr. John Gallagher, CSSR, was ordained in 1995. He is a Redemptorist hermit living in central-western Brazil (about four hours from Bolivia). He practices a contemplative solidariedade with the poor: part of each day in contemplative prayer, and part offering individual counseling to addicts in a Redemptorist treatment comunidade in a rural area. He is a dear college friend of John and Mary Juliano and their children.

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March 31

Today's Readings

I’ve always loved the Lenten season because everything slows down and we get to the heart of discipleship…why we do what we do? The disciplines of Lent: Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving are only a means to the end. They are not the end themselves. They are meant to help us become what God is calling us to be…His loving presence in the world, herein lies our Easter Joy. While there is a personal benefit from living the way of the Gospel (salvation, God willing), we also participate in the salvation of the world. St. Teresa puts it this way, it is through our hands and eyes and ears that God touches and sees and hears the cries of the poor in the world. Another way of saying that is that the work of the People of God is to makethe Kingdom of God present in the lives of the needy. That is an awesome responsibility, and our God believes that we are up to the task. God has faith in us. Don’t get me wrong salvation comes from God but even St. Paul says to us that people will not come to belief unless we preach. And as St. Francis supposedly said, we preach always and sometimes use words. Our actions in the world sometimes say more than our words ever will. Now more than ever does the world need us to witness the Gospel. When the leaders of our world seem to ignore the needs of the poor… we must preach! When our brothers and sisters’ manifest anger and hatred toward one another…we must preach! When human life is so devalued…we must preach! When the right to freedom of religion is lost by one it is lost by all…and we must preach!

We should totally ride the wave of Easter Joy because the Resurrection is God’s resounding YES to humanity…God refuses to give up on us. Our response to the Resurrection is to live the Gospel values and not to give up on humanity either! We have work to do in this world and God will help us do it, but we must preach!

Fr. Joe Marcoux is the Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Ithaca NY. Presently, he is at Ft. Jackson, SC, completing Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course for the Army. Fr. Joe was the main celebrant and homilist at Danny Prial's funeral Mass in January.

April 1 - Holy Thursday

holy thursday

The picture above hangs in the author's dining room.

Today's Readings

Today we begin the Easter Tridiuum, the three holiest days on our liturgical calendar.

On Holy Thursday many important events occur, none more than the last supper.

The bread and wine are placed before Jesus so he can bless them and offer it to his apostles to share.

He prays, blessed the bread and wine and says, "this is my body, this is my blood. Whenever you do this, do this in remembrance of me for the forgiveness of sins."

With his words and actions, Jesus gave them the right, the power, if you will, to change bread and wine to his body and blood, to become the real presence.

This is why we refer to this as the beginning of the priesthood; the beginning of what was to become Holy Orders - bishop, priest and deacon.

On April 12, 1986, I was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Brooklyn. It took us, my classmates and me five years to complete our formation. Classes were two nights a week and one Saturday a month.

I was the oldest man in my class. For me, it was a struggle to keep up. Spiritually, I was fine; academically, not so good. With help from my classmates, encouragement from Ethel, and guidance from the Holy Spirit, I managed to complete the program in the required time.

No words would be sufficient enough to explain how much I learned about our faith, and how my faith was strengthened by this program. Most of all, and this is why I'm sharing this reflection, is my understandings, my approach, my reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, the real presence. My brothers and sisters, the real presence is the center of our faith. It is what sets us apart from other christian denominations. Some of us receive holy communion every day, most of us once a week at Sunday Mass.

Because we receive so often, it becomes repetitive. This can make us loose our focus. It becomes so automatic, it just becomes something we do at Mass. To avoid this from happening, to prepare ourselves with the proper mindset to receive Jesus, we must pay absolute attention to the words and actions of the celebrant, especially at the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer.

When the altar servers were present, we heard the bells ring. This would alert us to what was about to happen.

When the celebrant extends his hands over the bread and wine and says, "may these gifts become the body and blood of Christ." He then makes the sign of the cross. At that moment, the real presence is before us. We refer to this as the consecration.

There is something that Ethel and I have done for many years. You may want to consider it. When the priest raises the consecrated bread and wine, we say to ourselves, "my Lord and my God." This is a reaffirmation that we truly believe in the real presence. During Mass we pray and sing and community. That is good and proper. But, there is a time when it is only you and Jesus, and that is when you come forward to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

When you return to your pew after Communion, it is not necessarily a time to ask for something, but a time to give thanks for what you just consumed, a time to reflect on how all this became possible.

Beginning with the Last Supper, Jesus experiences the betrayal of Judas, his arrest, Peter's denial of Jesus, his torture and crucification and abandonment by all the apostles, except for John. Jesus endures all of this because of his love for us, even death, death on the cross, so our sins may be forgiven and so we may have eternal life with him.

As a deacon, I am privileged and honored to be able to assist at Mass and be so close to the celebrant, especially for the consecration. There are times I think of our childhood, and how our faith was formed.

Ethel and I grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. We lived in an area that had three parishes within walking distance, but no Catholic school. We attended the same public school - Kindergarten through 8th grade. We made our First Holy Communion, Confirmation and were married in the same church - the Church of the Holy Family. We are a product of what was to become known as Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, better known as CCD.

This brings to mind all the people who instructed us in the faith and guide us to become true believers in the real presence. The priests, sisters, laity - they are not be forgotten.

I close with the words from a hymn we learned many years ago. With Ethel's help, I think I have the words..

Oh Lord I am not worthy,
That you should come to me.
But speak the words of comfort,
my spirit healed shall be.
And humbly I receive thee,
the bridegroom on my soul.
No more my sins to grieve thee,
or fly thy sweet control.

Deacon Arthur Cuccia and his wife, Ethel, are beloved members of our St. Stephens Parish community. He and Ethel attend 11am Mass on Sunday. On August 5 they will celebrate 70 years of marriage!

April 2 - Good Friday

Good Friday

Today's Readings

Wow! What a lovely Lenten season this has been. Reading all of your reflections and the daily prayer challenges has truly brought me closer to God and to all of you. I know I'm supposed to end in prayer, but today I'd like to start with one period it's Good Friday, nothing wrong with a little change.

Dear Lord, you've guided us so well during this Lenten season. You brought people into our lives and introduce ourselves into others, you've healed us, and you've given us faith once again. Let us reflect on our 40 day fasts and on ourselves, did we succeed? Did we get closer to You and strengthen our connection? Whether we failed on the “no sugar past 10:00 PM” or “no phone before bed” fast 2 days in , the true success of lent is measured by our faith. Let us rest our mind and soften our hearts for the Lord has come home, and soon we shall be too.

Well, good morning to the clergy of Saint Stephens and any guests/visitors. I hope you are well and are ready to have a “Good” Friday. Today’s reading touched upon a little bit of everything that our Church is made up of: forgiveness, faith, love, and sacrifice. The majority is already familiar with the basic teachings of the Catholic Church. You sin, you confess, you pray, you receive, a cycle that will last as long as his love for us will, an eternity. This reading when you think of it just backs our previous knowledge with concrete words that we can refer to when we're lost. A reassurance so to say. But our faith is so much more. Those thousand-year words will always be there for us, so will He, but it's important to make sure that we ourselves will always be there for ourselves. Strange tongue twister, I know, but bear with me, it’ll all make sense in a few moments. Played off of the idea that sometimes our enemies ourselves, anxieties and fears all tangled in your head wrestling with what you know to be true. It's OK to have seeds of doubts, it's OK to have seeds of uncertainty, but have faith that your own faith is strong enough to overcome those seeds. We know He’ll never leave us, and that we are loved and worthy. But it’s time, though, to start believing in yourself to accept this truth. It's time to allow yourself to let him whole heartedly love you the way we were born to do so. At the end of the day and in the beginning of others, the constant is you and Him. Embrace it and rejoice it.

Be still and know, know that you are stronger than your doubts, know that you have the strength in your faith to give it your all.

Be still and be well. God Bless

Lian Walker is 17 years old and a senior at Warwick Valley High school. She lives with her mother in Warwick and her 11 year old sister, as well as her 3 dogs. Lian has been a member of the St.Stephen's since she came home from China at 16 months old.

April 3 - Holy Saturday

holy saturday

Today's Readings

As is typical whenever I hear the story of creation, while reading it last week in preparation for writing this reflection, my mind wandered to a majestic landscape of blue and green, with magnificent trees, sparkling waters and a bright, wide sky—a perfect illustration of our beautiful earth. I paused for a few minutes too long, reveling in this visual, and then getting back to business, realized how much I’ve been missing these colors. I usually am this time of year. Unlike my childhood in Florida where white winters don’t exist, and sunshine is more or less perennial, the first months of the year in the north are often pale in color; days sometimes unequivocally gloomy. Add to that, the fatigue we are all feeling from just crossing a year of pandemic life; add to that Lent, which we all know less as a season of celebration, than as one of quiet contemplation, of prayer, fasting, and giving. But we are just about at the end. Tomorrow is Easter!

Of course, first, we need to experience today—Holy Saturday. Situated between the sorrow of Good Friday, and the joy of Easter Sunday, it’s a long day. It is after all, a day of waiting. For us, it’s surely easier than it must have been on the first Easter, when Jesus’s followers didn’t know that he was going to be raised from the dead. We at least have that to look forward to. But before we start our celebrations, on Holy Saturday, we are really supposed to think about what has just happened—that Jesus died, and that his body is lying in the tomb. I am sure, especially considering this past year that we have been through, that I am not alone in having recently suffered the loss of a loved one. I can think of countless things I’d rather do instead of spending a day contemplating death. But, it is true, that when we remember how real death is, and how final it is, and how painful it is for those of us who are left behind, that we can really appreciate the miracle of Jesus’s resurrection.

As I reflect on this today, Holy Saturday, when come nightfall and the Easter Vigil, candlelight illuminates the darkness of our churches, I pray to always remain hopeful, when life is difficult, when we are feeling tired or afraid, to remember that Jesus is that light, and that in the end, death didn’t win; to remember that “as Christ was raised from the dead, by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” It is my prayer to remember, even in times of pain and fear—even in death—that God will always take care of us, like He took care of Abraham who was moments away from sacrificing his son, and like He took care of Moses and the Israelites who crossed a parted Red Sea to escape from the Egyptians. He will always take care of us, because He loves each and every one of us. We know He loves us because He gave us Jesus, his Son, who died for our sins and then conquered death by rising. If that gift of his Son, and of course, those beautiful blues and greens that we will soon see again, are not proof of God's love, I don’t know what is.

Andrea Fecik lives in Brooklyn, NY and is a parishioner of St. Francis Xavier in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. She manages an architectural and interior design firm in the city and spends time outside of work on writing and painting which are two of her passions. She is an honorary member of St. Stephens and a frequent visitor to Warwick by way of her cousin Mary Juliano.

April 4 - EASTER SUNDAY!

EASTER SUNDAY

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

Today's Readings
The Resurrection of the Lord

When I was a child I knew when I was in trouble or when I was in good stead just by the way my mother would call my name. If she called me by my nick name, all was well. But, if she called me by my given name, I was in trouble, and, if she added my middle name I was in deep trouble!

On the morning of the Resurrection of Our Divine Lord, Mary of Magdala sits outside of the tomb weeping. Jesus approaches, but she does not recognize Him, she thinks He is the gardener. Their conversation is worthy of meditation (John 20:11-18). “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Such love, such desire to remain with Jesus. Our Risen Lord responds simply by calling her by name: tenderly, lovingly and filled with compassion: “Mary.” She recognizes Him immediately and clings to Him.

Our Lenten acts of penance, prayer and charity are meant to purify our hearts, minds, eyes and ears so that we can recognize His presence and hear His voice. He often calls us by name, each day, in fact. Listen closely.

Jesus sends Mary forth with the Good News of His Resurrection, “Go, to my brothers and tell them...” Because she heard His voice, because she saw Him, because she was obedient to what He asked of her, the message of salvation has spread to all parts of the world.

The Lord is truly Risen, Alelluia!
God bless you, + Bishop Colacicco

St. Stephen the First Martyr

Warwick, NY

Today's Lenten Reflection

third sunday of lent

fourth sunday of Lent

Palm Sunday

holy thursday

Good Friday

holy saturday

EASTER SUNDAY